


The Unwanted Quest

by Nina8228



Series: Steve's Journey [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Future, Arranged Marriage, God's Exist, Implied animal abuse, Knight Steve Rogers, M/M, Magic and Science, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Nature, Prince Bucky Barnes, Quests, Shapeshifting, Shifter Sam Wilson, They're not actually dead, Underage Kissing, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27637328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nina8228/pseuds/Nina8228
Summary: When Steve gets his first Invitation he isn't expecting to immediately be thrown into a Rescue the Princess Quest. Especially since he's been in love with his best friend since they were kids. How could he rescue and then marry a princess when he knows he won't love her?A Quest featuring: a petulant Knight, a naive Prince, some ambivalent Gods, a bemused shifter and an exhausted Producer.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Steve's Journey [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020757
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37
Collections: Not Another Stucky Big Bang 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by [Dee](https://twitter.com/jbootsybarnes?s=20)
> 
> [Art](https://twitter.com/anisstaranise/status/1329645628389953536?s=20) by [Anisstaranise](https://twitter.com/anisstaranise?s=21)

_“After the second Cold War the Gods revealed themselves through Avatars and pronounced the existence of **Yggdrasil** , the tree of life, to us humans. For the first time in history, every country on Earth agreed that after the tumultuous events of the war that peace can only be forced, not nurtured. Pangea was reformed. However the World will never be whole due to magnetic interference. The plates repel one another, leaving a gaping hole in the center of our world. This is the entrance to **the Garden** , a little bit of paradise to remind humans of the damage they almost caused—”_

“Fuck me, this is boring!” Steve slammed his textbook shut and pushed it away.

“Watch your fuckin’ mouth, if Phillips hears you talkin’ like that he’ll tell your mom. Who’ll tell _my_ mom. Then we’ll both be fucked.”

“Right, Bucky, my bad. I don’t know how I could’ve ever learned such foul words.” Steve said with feigned innocence. Bucky rolled his eyes and pushed his shoulder.

“Punk. Just do your work.” Bucky went back to diligently taking notes. Steve frowned at his textbook like a child at a piece of broccoli. _A Modern History: Gea and The Garden_ , an absolutely awful textbook that had brought Steve nothing but emotional pain and suffering for the past year. Everyone knew the history of Gea. How humanity almost destroyed itself, the Gods had made everyone get along by forcing countries together again, forming the landmass now known as ‘Gea.’ The Garden, on the other hand, was a different issue all together.

While Steve’s textbook insists that it was created as a paradise for humanity, a different tale was much more popular. They said that one of the Gods had fallen in love with a mortal, but Gea was so wrought with chaos and destruction from the Second Cold War that there were no spiritual plains for the God to descend and make their affections known. In order to be close to the apple of their eye they had cut a piece of the heavenly realm and sent it down to Earth using Yggdrasil as it connected all the realms of existence. This Island was rich in spiritual energy and allowed for the God to descend and court the mortal as they had always dreamed. This private Island was known as The Garden.

As Gea righted itself and became more peaceful and consequently more spiritual there became less of a demand for access to The Garden. It became a backyard for the wealthy who were only becoming wealthier. It was then that the practice of Events started.

Steve turned and watched Bucky. His friend was concentrating very hard and Steve would feel bad if he distracted him. This was their big research paper that they’d be working on throughout their final year. Bucky, ever the model student, convinced Steve to start working on it now. Steve felt a little annoyed towards Bucky and his anal studying habits.

He opened the book to a random page and held his face in his fists. _In 2790 the monarchy was reinstated. Principalities began to emerge in retaliation._ God why did Steve choose to discuss modern history. _Because Bucky was doing modern history_ , his brain supplied. He slowly face-planted onto his book.

“I hate this.”

“I know bud, but what’re you gonna do ‘bout it?” Bucky asked. Steve sighed and turned his head so he could at least see Bucky.

“I’m gonna not do it.” Steve pouted. Bucky put down his pen and faced Steve. He smiled like he was looking at a child talking about Santa.

“Don’t be silly, Stevie. You don’t do well on this paper, you won't graduate.”

“Why do I even need to graduate? It’s not like I can actually do anything.” If he got a high enough score Steve could qualify for a government job; failing that, his options were limited.  
Bucky frowned. “Hey, no. Don’t talk like that. You’re gonna be the best Knight out there. You’ll drown in all the invitations from Princesses who want you to rescue them.” Steve rolled his eyes. He was never going to be like his father. As much as he wanted to fight and help people, he was too weak.

‘Knight’ was an occupation that Steve desperately wanted. The only way in was by passing a physical exam. After that they would be sent to a training camp to learn and practice their skills. Most Knights already had some knowledge of fighting, battle strategy and fencing as most of them were young lords. At the end of the training camp Knights would be assigned to a specific household and if you were famous enough houses would bid over you. They would then go on Quests when Invited, but normally they would attend Competitions and fight for the honor of their household in things like the joust, the javelin toss, archery or sword fighting. If there was no Competition then they would spend their days protecting their household and the land they owned.

Steve sighed in defeat. “Sure Buck.” He went back to his book eager to be done with the conversation. Bucky, however, was not done. He studied Steve as Steve tried to study his book. He bristled under the intense attention. Bucky finally looked away and clapped Steve on the back.

“C’mon.” Bucky said and got up from his chair. Steve looked at him startled. “Come,” he urged, “this is boring you, let’s do something fun.” Steve’s interest was piqued. His eyebrow quickly quirked upward silently questioning what was going on. Regardless he hesitantly got up from his own chair.

“Lead on then.” Steve said. Bucky grinned now that Steve was fully with him. The two exited the library and walked down the hall to the West wing. The East wing was for studying while the West wing was for family matters. But Bucky didn’t stop in the West wing. Instead Bucky led  
Steve right past the West wing and out into the training pavilion.

Bucky headed straight to the fencing piste. He picked up his fencing jacket embroidered with his initials and family crest. The Barnes coat of arms featured a white wolf with the words “Fortitudine Vincimus” below it. _By endurance we conquer_. Steve couldn’t imagine Bucky being marred by hardship. Bucky was too radiant and effervescent. Steve could not imagine him struggling to survive. Bucky was absolutely flawless in every way. Steve could never be so perfect.

Steve picked up his own jacket with his own embroidered initials and crest. He swam in the fabric, it was always looser in the sides and shoulder area but tighter at the hips. Bucky wouldn’t admit it but Steve was pretty sure this was his sister’s spare jacket and Bucky had embroidered Steve’s name onto it himself.

“Foil or sabre?” Bucky asked.

“Sabre.” Steve said. Bucky grinned and grabbed two sabres. He tossed one to Steve and he expertly caught it. The sabre was heavier than the foil and would be more useful in Knight training. Steve hardly ever used the foil.

Once their gear was on the two stood at opposite ends of the piste. “House,” Bucky called into the room. “Set timer for a fencing match.” The house chimed in response. Bucky and Steve bowed to each other. “En garde.” Bucky shouted and got in position. Steve mirrored him. “Êtes-vous prêts?” Steve nodded once in response.

The blood was pounding in his head; his limbs poised and ready once the match was called to start. There was nothing like a good duel with Bucky. The two may be friends, but once in the training room they understood the rules. They’re there to practice, not have fun. And Steve can’t practice if Bucky goes easy on him. He can’t see Bucky’s face through the mask but he would bet all his land that Bucky was just as excited as he was for the match to start.

“Allez!”

It was unclear who made the first move but the two quickly fell into a rhythm. Bucky on the offensive. He would attack, Steve would parry. Bucky was fond of the compound attack. Teasing and lulling his opponent into a sense of superiority or security. Only to strike when their guard was lowered.

Sadly for Bucky, Steve never lowers his guard.

The two were stuck going at it for a while before Steve finally landed a hit on Bucky’s upper arm. Steve congratulated himself for a minute but was quickly repaid with Bucky’s own hit on his sternum. The two continued in a deadlock until the buzzer sounded. Panting heavily, Bucky called for the house to set the timer for round two. The two started again, the clashing of blades echoing through the room.

Steve cut off the rest of the world only focusing on Bucky. He would have to switch tactics in order to gain an advantage. He would have to fight. On Bucky’s latest feint Steve responded offensively. He started with a circle parry around Bucky’s sabre then quickly shifted to disengage and hit Bucky’s torso under his arm. The alarm rang out. Steve smiled wildly; he’d won this round.

There was little to no break; they went straight into the third round. Bucky was much more determined in his attack, no longer throwing feints. He continually lunged at Steve offering no room for Steve to counter. Steve was backed to the edge of the mat before he had to let Bucky tap him. Bucky calmed down a little after he got one point, which was enough for Steve to riposte and gain the upper hand.

Steve had no strength left to keep Bucky’s sustained attack at bay however and Bucky would soon regain the advantage. Steve was ready this time. As Bucky’s sabre beat aggressively against his own, Steve performed a counter-attack while stepping backwards. Bucky was caught off guard and the sabre almost slipped from his grip. Steve moved away while continuously thrusting forward praying to God he wouldn’t trip or expose himself to Bucky’s blade.

Steve had never won a real match against Bucky before. Steve was good, no doubt, but Bucky was better. In all his ten years of training Steve had beaten every willing opponent in Bucky’s manor but never the young Prince himself. This was the closest he’d ever gotten, and he sure as hell wasn’t backing down now.

Steve landed a hit over Bucky’s heart.

The buzzer rang.

The game was over. Steve had won.

Steve took off his mask, panting and grinning. Bucky removed his mask as well. He was also panting but trying not to smile. He gave Steve the once-over and nodded. His mouth downturned and eyebrows raised; he was impressed. “Good game, Stevie.” He stuck out his hand. Steve shook it.

The two took off the rest of their gear and hung it to be cleaned of sweat and dirt. “You’re too obvious,” Steve said.

“Yeah but my obvious ass has beat you what?— Sixteen times?” Steve looked over to the scoreboard and sighed. “One for every year you’re alive.” Bucky joked. He stretched his arms above his head then plopped down onto the mat and lay on his back. Steve added a tally to his side of the scoreboard next to “Fencing” and joined Bucky on the mat.

The pair laid there for a while trying to make pictures from the lines in the ceiling. No sound but their rhythmic synchronized breathing. Steve closed his eyes, succumbing to the urge to rest.

“Have you ever kissed anyone, Stevie?”

Steve shot up and looked at Bucky incredulously. Did he really just ask that? “What?”

“Have you ever kissed anyone?” Bucky sat up as well. Bucky asked like he was asking what Steve’s favorite color was. Bucky wasn’t being weird about this Steve shouldn’t be either, right? He could pretend this was a normal conversation, it probably was and Steve was just overthinking this.

“N-no?” His voice cracked. Bucky focused on the ground in front of him and started musing as if Steve wasn’t there.

“‘Cause I was thinking, when you’re a Knight you’re gonna be expected to kiss cursed Princesses, right?” He said.

Steve hadn’t thought of this. Oh gods he hadn’t thought of this. He just wanted to be a Knight, fight for the innocent and weak. He did not intend to have to kiss princesses. The girls in his class only ever looked his way to tell him to put in a good word with Bucky.

“And it would just be awkward for everyone if your first kiss was expected to break like a sleeping curse or something!” Bucky added.

“I guess…” Steve could start to see Bucky’s point. Bucky faced Steve again. His face was completely red and flushed. He licked his lips nervously and looked earnestly at Steve.

“So I was thinking, ya know, that maybe you could— Uh, practice…with me…?” He shyly turned away and started fumbling with his hands. “‘Cause I’ve never been kissed either so it would be— God what’s the word— Mutually beneficial!— Yeah that’s it. It would be mutually beneficial for us to…practice.” He looked at Steve again and bit his lip. He gave a nervous half smile.

Steve thought about this proposal for a moment. Bucky was ultimately right, he would be expected to kiss someone in the future. And it meant nothing. It would mean nothing.

“Um— yeah, I guess so. It would just be practice.” Steve said. Bucky sat up a little straighter.

“Right, practice, of course.” Bucky nodded and watched Steve. “So who— do you? Wanna…” He gestured between the two of them. Right, someone would have to make the first move. Steve decided to be the one to take the first step.

“Yeah! No, I can — ehm.” He hesitantly moved in with his eyes shut.

Steve accidentally bumped into the side of Bucky’s mouth but Bucky pulled him in as he moved away to apologize. Their lips pressed one against the other. Steve wondered when was the appropriate time to pull away. Bucky was the first to pull away for air. Steve’s lips tingled from the loss of pressure. Bucky watched him shyly. Steve felt like he should say something.

“...Well that was kinda—”

“Yeah…” Bucky said.

“I mean it wasn’t bad!” Steve quickly corrected.

“No, not at all!” Bucky agreed.

“Just awkward. And stiff.” Steve hoped he hadn’t hurt Bucky’s feelings. Bucky nodded and processed the feedback.

“Right. That’s why we need…practice.” He looked at Steve’s full lips then looked him in the eye heatedly. Steve felt an electric jolt shiver down his spine. His throat was dry.

“We should definitely practice more.” As soon as the words left his lips Bucky’s were on his. It was different this time. Bucky moved his mouth more, teasing Steve with small lip bites. Steve moved his own mouth in tandem. It was messy and awkward but ultimately better. Steve broke away first this time. “...Well that was definit—” Bucky pulled him back in by the scruff of his neck. Steve’s mouth parted in shock and Bucky’s tongue teased the entrance, unsure what to do. Bucky backtracked and placed one last kiss on Steve’s lips before moving to nip at his jaw. One of Bucky’s hands held Steve at the back of his neck while the other was holding his wrist. Steve drowned in the feeling of being trapped by Bucky. “Mm, Buck—”

“Shh, it’s fine.” Bucky whispered mouthing at the joint between Steve’s neck and collarbone. Steve heard something in the distance. Steve’s eyes shot open. Someone was coming their way. He pushed gently on Bucky’s shoulder trying to get his attention and warn him.

“Buck—”

“Prince James!” A voice boomed down the hallway. Bucky jumped from Steve with panic in his eyes. It was their tutor, Professor Phillips; he couldn’t find them like this. Bucky looked at Steve’s mouth one last time. Steve could see the turmoil going on in his head. Part of Steve wanted Bucky to stay there with him and for them to continue or even talk about what this meant. But they both knew that couldn’t happen. Ever.

“I’m coming!” Bucky yelled back. He fixed his hair and clothes in case anything was amiss and prayed to Atlas that Phillips wouldn’t ask about his flushed face. Bucky gave Steve a “what can ya do” smile and went down the hallway to find out what he did wrong now. Steve followed quietly to eavesdrop at the door.

“Prince James, you’re supposed to be in the library studying with young Sir Rogers.” Steve could hear the bitter contempt when Phillips said his name. The two never got along; Steve was a disappointing student and Phillips considered him a bad influence on Bucky.

“We just decided to take a break, at least we were being productive.” Bucky answered, trying to be pleasant. Phillips didn’t even seem to hear what he said.

“We need to be able to know exactly where you are at any time of the day for this reason exactly— you have a guest.” There was a pause. Bucky didn’t get a lot of uninvited guests. They must have headed to the main hall because Steve could no longer hear what was going on. He peeked his head out of the training room doors and sure enough they were gone.

So now Steve had to entertain himself while Bucky entertained some random official. Bucky always complained about those visits, how they would all brag about how many homes they had, and what notable Knights were in their employ. Bucky found it exhausting, but Steve could see that Bucky had a real talent for pretending to be interested. He could always make people feel special, like they and Bucky had been friends for years.

It all made Steve feel smaller than he already was. Everyone fawned over Bucky, and Steve wasn’t jealous of the attention. If anything he was grateful for the fact that people constantly overlooked him for that reason. Seeing Bucky surrounded by other people always upset Steve, as he was reminded of how much he didn’t deserve Bucky. The only reason _he_ was Bucky’s best friend and not someone else was because their family ties went back generations. It had become tradition now for the Barnes family and the Rogers family to be closely affiliated. Steve brought nothing to the table in terms of his friendship. He wasn’t smart, charismatic, strong, or exceptional in any way. But Bucky still refused to let Steve go. Steve thought that, surely, someday Bucky would come to his senses and leave him.

Steve left the training room and went through the side exit to the garden that surrounded the manor. Steve’s boots click-clacked on the cobblestone path until he passed the third rose bush. He picked up a long, dead stick off the ground and used it to push the thorny bushes aside as he slipped between them. The bushes were tall enough to cover Steve as he passed behind. There was a subtle dirt path marked with different sized stones. Steve followed it to a small man-made pond and a large tree.

Bucky and Steve had dubbed this place their secret haven that no one else knew about. They found it one day when they were playing as kids. Their ball had gone under the rose bush and Steve crawled under to get it. Steve came back to that spacious nook that day when they played hide and seek. When they were twelve Bucky dug a little pond there so maybe ducks would come. No ducks came, but they kept the pond. Steve would find himself just staring into the water and feeling at ease. His mother said it was because he was connected to water.

Steve came here to kill time, Bucky would figure out where to find him. He leaned against the thick tree trunk and moved the large rock next to the pond revealing a notebook underneath. Steve fumbled around the above-ground roots until he found his pencils. He started moving the pencil randomly across the page, not quite sure what to draw yet. He sketched an eye in the corner, a hand flipping someone off, and just a scribble he tried to see an image in. He sighed in frustration at his apathy and thought he might try to nap in order to pass the time. He reached under another root and grabbed the towel they kept there and draped it across himself to sleep.

He did not get a chance to drift off however, because at that moment Bucky had come into the garden with his guest. Steve could hear the clicking of heels; they were much lighter than Bucky’s steps. “Oh James, these roses are absolutely lovely.” A high feminine voice came nearer. Steve knew they couldn’t see him but he still hid himself further behind the tree just in case. “How do you get them so nice, mine always die after a week.” Bucky laughed airly. It was his polite laugh, not the genuine one. Steve tried to see who the girl was from his hiding place.

“My mother loves her roses; she takes every precaution to make sure they survive and bloom as beautifully as they do.” Bucky answered. “Oh— how sad, it looks like someone was messing with the bush.” He walked nearer the rose bush and Steve swore Bucky had seen him from the smugness in his voice.

“James.”

“Yes, Dottie?” The girl giggled. Girls tended to do that around Bucky.

“Have you ever thought of government work?” She asked sincerely. Bucky’s boots, which Steve could see clearly, paused then turned away from the bush and consequently Steve.

“Uh— no, I can’t say that I have…” Bucky seemed like he was actually thinking about the question now.

“You should think about it. You’re really smart Jamie, you’d probably qualify.” Steve winced at _“Jamie”_ ; Bucky absolutely hated people outside of his family calling him that.

Steve thought about _Dottie’s_ question now. Would Bucky join the government? Steve didn’t know anyone personally who had qualified to work for the government but he assumed that they must have been as smart as Bucky. Bucky could work in politics; he had the charm for it, the intellect. Bucky had all these options and Steve had nothing. He was just a hard headed boy from the lower upper class.

“I don’t think I’d enjoy the government much.” Bucky answered. “Besides, I wouldn’t get to spend my free time rescuing pretty damsels like you if I worked in government.” Steve rolled his eyes at Bucky’s cheap line but Dottie obviously fell for it if her giggle was anything to go by.

“Just think about it. Okay, Jamie?” Steve heard no response. “I should get going, I heard your tutor complaining about interrupting your studies.”

“Goodbye, Dottie.” Steve imagined that Bucky had probably kissed her hand and that’s why she was giggling again. For some reason Steve really hated her giggle. It was annoyingly high pitched. He wasn't sure how anyone would find it charming. Steve heard her shoes click-clacking away and then pausing. “You go ahead, I have something I need to do first.” The noise started again as she left the garden. Bucky’s shoes then turned towards Steve and Steve stood up so Bucky wouldn’t have to pass through. “One day we’re gonna have to find a new hiding spot.” Bucky said. Steve put his notebook, towel and pencils back where he found them and exited the sanctuary. Bucky smiled at him amused by Steve’s eavesdropping. “C’mon,” he said, pulling Steve under his arm and dragging them both back into the East wing library.

Steve tried to shrug off Bucky’s arm from over his shoulder. He was incredibly annoyed with Bucky for some reason. It could be his casualness about everything that had happened. It could be that Bucky’s charm with a girl like Dottie made him jealous. All Steve knew was that he was a little irritated with Bucky. He threw himself back into his textbook in order to not interact with Bucky.

Bucky must’ve noticed his irritation as he moved his own chair closer to Steve’s. “What?” Steve asked, annoyed with Bucky’s proximity and staring.

“I’m just trying to read the book.” Steve knew Bucky was lying but he didn’t care. He shoved the book to Bucky’s end of the desk and got up to find something else to read. Steve perused the shelves for something that looked mildly interesting. Bucky didn’t even touch the textbook Steve gave him and instead got up after Steve and followed him to the shelves. Anxiety spiked as Bucky got nearer to Steve, he quickly picked up the first book he saw and tore it open and walked away. It was an old, emerald green book, Steve didn’t see the title; it seemed to be an anthology of some kind. There were a series of poems and short stories as he flipped through the pages.

Bucky was not put off by Steve’s “studying” and instead seemed more determined to chase after him. As Steve walked away Bucky walked behind him looking over his shoulder to try and see what he was reading. Steve suddenly turned around, glaring at Bucky, and slammed his book shut in agitation. “What?” He asked again. “You wanted the book, I gave you the book. You want this book too? Here take it!” Steve shoved the old book into Bucky’s chest. Bucky wasn’t paying attention and the book fell out of his grasp and onto the floor with an echoing bang.

The two eyed each other for a while. “Why are you mad at me?” Bucky didn’t lie this time. Steve was embarrassed at being called out so quickly. This immediately resulted in him becoming more defensive.

“I’m not mad at you.”

“No you’re just being super passive aggressive with me for no reason.” Bucky said sarcastically. Bucky slowly started moving in and pushing Steve backwards towards a bookcase. As he backed up, avoiding Bucky’s gaze, something on the floor caught Steve’s attention. “Is this because of what happened in the training room? Because Steve—”

“Wait.”

“No! I’m serious. If you want to talk about it we can talk about it—”

“No, Bucky. Wait. There’s something on the ground.” Steve walked past Bucky to the green book and picked up a piece of paper that was folded in four. Steve unraveled it and Bucky came up next to him to see what it was.

**When Life, Death, Freedom and Order come together, then peace will finally be realized as the World unites once more.**

There was a symbol in the corner. A poorly drawn crest it looked like, of a bird of some kind with wide wings expanding over the crest. Steve had actually seen something like it before. He was talking with one of Buck’s servants as a child while Bucky was off on a horseback riding lesson. The servant had a tattoo of the same bird and crest on his upper arm. Steve had asked him what it meant and he explained that it was a secret symbol for people who were trying to create peace. And Steve, like the naive child he was, said that peace already existed. The man smiled kindly and explained that just because things were good for Steve didn’t mean that everyone else was also living a good life. Steve then asked the man how he planned on bringing peace, he replied that the first step was to take down the government. Steve got shooed away by another servant at that point and never got to learn the other steps.

He had completely forgotten that encounter until now. Faced with the recreated symbol he understood. This is how they planned to bring peace. He grinned madly at Bucky who was just looking confused about the entire situation. He opened his mouth to explain when a wild thought came into his head. He gasped loudly.

“Bucky!” Steve said excitedly.

“What?” Bucky replied concerned.

“My father!”

“What?”

“My father!” He said again waving the paper in his hand. “My father must’ve been a part of this! That’s why they killed him!” Bucky looked incredibly alarmed and confused. Steve calmed down and showed Bucky the paper again.

“See this symbol?” He said, pointing to the crudely drawn bird. “I’ve seen it before, a man in your household had it tattooed on his arm. He explained to me that it’s for a group of people who are trying to bring peace.” Steve looked expectantly at Bucky but he was still confused.

“What does this have to do with your father?”

“My father died before I was born, right?”

“Yeah…”

“But there’s no death certificate.”

“So…?” Bucky still wasn’t connecting the dots. How was Bucky the smartest kid in their class and still unable to see what Steve saw.

“So…my dad was killed by the government—- because he was a part of this organization!” Steve stood there waiting for Bucky to react. Bucky kept looking at him but now he seemed deeply concerned.

“Steve, I really don’t think the government is capable of that.” Bucky said calmly. He spoke slowly, like he was trying not to startle or offend Steve. It had the opposite effect. Steve knew he sounded crazy; he didn’t need Bucky pointing it out. But it just made sense.

“Think about it, Buck. I know nothing about my father except that “he was a good man”; no one seems to know him. He has an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere and no death certificate! It’s almost like he doesn’t exist! But he has to have existed because I’m here.”

“Yeah but—“

“No but! I know this sounds crazy, Buck. But you gotta believe me…please.” Steve looked earnestly at Bucky. Bucky hesitated for a moment like he was thinking it all over then smiled in support for Steve. The response was instantaneous; Steve jumped into Bucky’s arms and toppled the two of them onto the floor. They laughed and got up without injury. “Besides,” Steve added as an afterthought, “our families are closely linked, why else would your parents have this prophecy folded up in one of their books.”

That part Bucky had no answer for but Steve did. Bucky watched Steve warily as the two went back to their research satiated and Steve actually got a lot of work done. He marked the green book in his memory and told himself to go back to it when he wanted to look over the prophecy there. Bucky might not believe him now, but he will later! Maybe he could finish what his father started.


	2. Chapter One

**10 Years Later**

Steve gazed out the window of his family car into the night sky. It was cloudy and hardly any stars could be seen. Steve looked out and painted the sky from his imagination. Diamonds hanging in random patterns, images that would eventually reveal themselves if he studied them long enough. The cold from the glass was refreshing against his head. It was Steve’s favorite time of year. It was early March; spring appeared during the day but fall was back at night. 

It was Bucky’s birthday. 

Bucky had been invited out to a Ball that night but that was okay, Steve had things to do too. Big things that weighed heavily on his mind. They arrived at Steve’s family home before long. Steve swiftly exited the car with a polite “good night” to his driver. His loyal butler Coulson opened the door for him. Steve smiled politely and took off his coat to hang on the rack. 

Phil Coulson was a fine man. He helped Steve keep his strict schedule with his own due diligence. Phil had replaced Steve’s childhood butler, Abraham, when he had passed away. Steve had known Abraham Erskine all his life, he was probably the closest thing Steve had had to a father. But just like his biological father, he had gone too soon. Phil came in from an agency during a very dark period of Steve’s life and for his patience Steve was forever grateful. 

He went upstairs to his room and toed off his shoes. He stripped down to his underthings and went downstairs to treat himself with a nice hot chocolate. It’d been a rough day and he seriously needed something sweet to cheer him up. He dismissed Coulson for the night and got to work in the kitchen. He cut up some fine dark chocolate and melted it over a pot of boiling water. He boiled some milk and mixed the chocolate in with a little bit of sugar and vanilla. Once everything was combined he poured it into his favorite deep blue mug and headed to the living room to get comfortable. 

Steve’s house would be considered “quaint” and “simple” by most, with only two floors and one training field out back. Steve could keep a strict training regimen as it was, so the house worked for him. He never said this to anyone, but he would personally like a smaller space. It was just him living in this giant palace. A constant reminder of how he had no-one left. 

“Oh— Hi Stevie!” Bucky waved wildly. Steve must not have heard the door opening. Bucky stumbled from the entryway to the living room where Steve was sitting in the dark. He giggled as he tripped over his own feet and landed on the couch next to Steve. He was clearly drunk. Steve expected this to happen. Who was he kidding? This always happened when Bucky went out to Balls. “Happy birthday to meeee!” Bucky sang loudly. Steve politely shushed him. “Oops.” Bucky held a finger to his mouth and tried not to laugh. 

“Want some water, bud?” Steve asked. Bucky shook his head no petulantly and rested his head on Steve’s lap. Steve’s hand instinctively reached to pet Bucky’s hair. He squared himself and awkwardly patted Bucky’s shoulder instead. 

The two sat in silence for a while. Steve continued to drink from his hot chocolate until it was almost finished. Bucky must have been asleep by now, the gentle rise and fall of his back giving the impression of serenity. Bucky was officially twenty-seven now, but here, lying across Steve’s lap, it reminded Steve of when they were kids. He wanted nothing more than to go back to those simple times, when his only troubles were about getting sick or school work. 

Now Steve was a man. A strong man, impervious to any illness and most injuries. Steve himself didn’t quite understand what happened all those years ago. The only people who did understand were gone. Steve might go back to how he was before, small and sickly, he didn’t know. Until the day came that he was unable to physically continue his duty as a Knight he would go out and fight his hardest. He would treat each day like it was his last with this body. 

Steve may have changed drastically, but Bucky, Bucky stayed exactly the same. A charming, effervescent prince that could do so much better than Steve. Steve’s hand moved hesitantly to Bucky’s fluffy, chocolate colored hair. He brushed a few curls away from Bucky’s face. Bucky’s breathing stuttered. Steve’s heart stopped. Bucky’s breathing went back to normal. Steve moved his hand away, his close encounter halted any wandering he would do tonight. He tried to relax with both his arms spread against the back of the couch. 

Bucky could never know. He couldn’t know how much Steve thought about him. How much Steve needed him. And how much he was haunted by the kiss. Their practice from years ago. Their brief fling of passion that Steve had quickly put a stop to. He wondered now, as an adult, if he had taken up Bucky’s offer to talk, if he hadn’t chased after the prophecy—

Maybe they could’ve been together. Maybe Steve would be able to run his fingers freely through Bucky’s hair now. Maybe Bucky wouldn’t go out to Balls and come to Steve’s home drunk. Maybe it would be their home. 

Maybe they would be in love. 

But for now Steve would have this. These fleeting moments of intimacy and comfort. Bucky would forget them but Steve stored them away in his heart. A vault of moments with Bucky. Steve’s heart yearned for that life with Bucky, but Steve must live in the world he created. 

“‘M sorry…” Bucky’s voice was muffled by Steve’s leg. Steve looked down concerned. Why was Bucky apologizing? He tapped Bucky’s shoulder gently. 

“What was that, Buck?” He asked. Bucky turned so he was on his back looking up at Steve. His heart started beating wildly with Bucky’s stunning ocean eyes staring at him so tenderly. 

“I’m sorry, Stevie.” Bucky said. Steve shook his head and smiled softly. 

“You got nothin’ to apologize for Buck.” Bucky shook his head no and sat up suddenly. He held his head as he suddenly got very dizzy. Steve’s arms reached out to steady him. 

“But I do.” Bucky looked at Steve with so much guilt. “I’m sorry for goin’ out tonight. I know we planned on it being just us, but—” 

“Hey— No, Bucky, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Steve held Bucky’s shoulders trying to get him to look at him and see how earnest he was. “You got Invited, you couldn’t say no. It’s not your fault.” Bucky still looked down in shame. 

“But still…” Bucky seemed really torn up about this. It hurt Steve to see him like this but at the same time the tiny voice in his head was wondering why Bucky cared so much about leaving Steve alone.  _ Maybe there was something there, _ the tiny voice said. But that was too much of a reach. Buck just cared about Steve, nothing more. 

“We can celebrate tomorrow? We can go to that restaurant you like, I’ll make pancakes in the morning. We could do whatever you want.” Steve said. Bucky’s head lifted shyly. He smirked at Steve. 

“Whatever I want, huh?” Steve rolled his eyes at Bucky’s innuendo. 

“Not like that.” Steve said. Bucky got up, seemingly less drunk, and started heading to the guest bedroom. Bucky ended up staying over so much that Steve just mentally named the room next to his as Bucky’s room. 

Bucky stopped at the edge of the couch and turned to face Steve. “You said “whatever I want”” Bucky levelled Steve with a heated up-down as if he was considering what exactly he wanted. “It could just be… _ practice _ .” Bucky winked and grinned wildly. Steve tried very hard not to blush. Bucky was joking. He was always joking. Where Steve couldn’t outwardly acknowledge the kiss Bucky joked about it constantly. To him it really was just practice. 

“I need help getting up the stairs,” Bucky yelled from the bottom of the staircase. Steve winced at his harsh volume but promptly got up and placed his mug in the kitchen sink “to soak” as he liked to say. Bucky smiled at him but his cheeks were tinted red either from the alcohol he consumed or his embarrassment at not being able to climb stairs. 

Steve put his arm around Bucky’s waist to steady him. Bucky winced at the sudden touch but quickly leaned against Steve. Bucky put his arm around Steve’s shoulders and the two slowly walked up the stairs leaning on one another. 

The paintings on the walls watched over them as they climbed. The generations of Steve’s family went from impressionistic images of farmers to regal looking patrons, always paired with a member of Bucky’s family. Steve never knew why their families were so close, he just knew that they were and that’s the way it always had been and hopefully always would be. He couldn’t imagine growing old without Bucky being close by. 

Steve led Bucky to his room next to the master bedroom. Bucky fumbled with his jacket pockets trying to find his keys. Steve propped Bucky against the wall and pulled out his own spare set of keys. He kept track of Bucky’s room key by the tiny Barnes crest he’d drawn on it. Bucky saluted Steve sloppily and slumped into his room. 

“You sure you’ll be okay, Buck?” Steve asked, concerned. Bucky waved his hand in dismissal. 

“I’ll be fine, Stevie, you go head on to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning for pancakes.” Bucky turned into the room and slowly closed the door. Steve smiled to himself and headed to his own room. If he planned to make pancakes for Bucky he would have to make sure to wake up pretty early. 

Steve drifted off to sleep and his mind took no time to fill with images he couldn’t decipher. He was running through a forest trying to escape a flood coming. He looked behind him, there was no water there but he knew it would come.  _ Soon _ . So he ran and ran until he couldn’t run anymore. The dread filled him. He knew he would die. He would be overcome by the harsh rushing water and be drowned. Suddenly he was in the water, thrashing and waving wildly trying to grab purchase on anything to survive.  _ Just let go, _ he thought,  _ I need to let go _ . Steve closed his eyes and let the water overtake him and pull him deep. He opened his mouth to breath but he realized then the situation he was in. 

He could not breathe. 

He started panicking, trying desperately to breathe; terrified that this was all real that he couldn’t actually breathe and he really was dying. A hand came down from the sky and grabbed him. He latched onto the arm and pulled himself up. A bright light was all he could see and suddenly the water was gone. He was on the dry forest floor and the bright light surrounded him. He couldn’t see the figure playing in the trees but he knew he wanted to play too. But his mind sent him back to the water. Then _ he _ was playing in the trees and watching the flood take someone else. He didn’t see who they were but the small voice in his head supplied the identity for him. His hand was the one reaching down now but the water was always too far. He couldn’t save them. 

Steve shot up from his bed covered in sweat and panting heavily from panic.  _ He couldn’t save Bucky _ . Bucky had saved him and he couldn’t even return the favor. Steve stumbled into his ensuite and splashed some water on his face to help him calm down. It was just a dream. Bucky was probably safely sleeping in the room next door. Steve’s breathing calmed with that assurance, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his dream. It gave him a sense of awful foreboding and his dreams had proven prophetic before. 

He tried to get back to his morning routine, electing to skip early morning training in favor of getting started on Bucky’s breakfast. He took a quick shower washing the sweat and oil from his body and put on a clean cotton shirt and boxers. Bucky would probably want to spend the day in their pajamas anyway. Steve headed downstairs as quietly as he could. It seemed like even Coulson wasn’t up yet. He got to work on making the super fluffy pancakes that Bucky liked. He made one batter with chocolate chips and another plain, Bucky liked to alternate. He said it was so that it wouldn’t be overpowered by chocolate but also not be bored by just plain pancakes. Steve set aside a nice stack of six pancakes for Bucky and a less impressive stack of two plain pancakes for him. He had extra batter so he even made some for Coulson. 

“Master Rogers is too kind.” Coulson stood outside of the kitchen watching Steve fry up the last pancake. Steve waved his hand in dismissal.

“You make breakfast for me every day, the least I could do is make you some pancakes.” He flipped the last pancake onto the stack and left the plate on the bartop for Coulson to eat. He pulled out a leather stool to eat while Steve set the table. 

“You know it’s Prince Barnes’ birthday today,” Coulson spoke casually from the kitchen. 

“I know, that’s why I made the pancakes.” Steve replied as he started to decoratively fold napkins. 

“I could leave, if you and His Highness would prefer to celebrate in a more  _ private _ manner?” 

Steve accidentally crushed the swan he just finished folding. He practically ran back to the kitchen. “I don’t— What are you?—  _ That _ kind of thing, we don’t. We’re not. Bucky and I aren’t—” Steve scrambled to defend himself but from the smug way Coulson was watching him as he sipped his coffee Steve felt all his strength leave his body. He sighed defeatedly and sat down on the stool next to Coulson. He buried his head in his hands, “Is it that obvious?” 

Coulson patted him reassuringly on the back. “Very obvious.” He said. Steve groaned outwardly and banged his head against the cool marble a couple times. 

“How did you know?” Steve asked. He wanted to make sure that it wasn’t obvious to Bucky. 

“Steven, I’ve known you for a long time. You have one friend. And I’m not an idiot. Also you set the table with the fancy china and freshly cut flowers. You don’t even let me use those plates when it’s  _ your _ birthday. Not to mention he has his own room here that just happens to be right next to yours.” Steve buried his face yet again to hide how red his cheeks were. God he really was obvious. “If it makes you feel any better,” Coulson continued. “I don’t think he knows.” 

Steve sighed in relief and felt the weight on his shoulders ease up a bit. If he was so obvious then everyone probably knew about his little crush except for Bucky. Speaking of whom, if Bucky didn’t wake up in the next five minutes Steve would go up there himself. His food was getting cold. 

“Good mornin’ Stevie!” 

Speak of the devil. Bucky’s voice echoed from down the hall. He was somewhere on the first floor; Steve couldn’t pinpoint where. “Good morning, Buck!” He called back. Coulson gave him a pointed look that made Steve flush again. “Shut up,” he muttered as he headed towards the dining room. 

Bucky came in wearing pajamas, just as Steve suspected. He also came with a pile of envelopes; he must have been into the foyer to collect the mail. Bucky sat down across from Steve but didn’t say a word about the pancakes. He was grinning ear to ear and watching Steve expectantly. Like suddenly Steve was gonna reveal a giant surprise party. 

Feeling self conscious from all the staring Steve raised his eyebrow and sighed. “What?” He asked. Bucky dropped a heavily embellished envelope in front of Steve. He’d only ever seen such gold embellishments and ornate handwriting on one piece of mail. Pieces of mail that only Bucky ever got. Envelopes that Steve didn’t mind not receiving. But the day had finally come. He knew it would come someday but still a part of him hoped it would never arrive. 

Steve had been Invited on a Quest. 


	3. Chapter Two

Sir Steven G. Rogers

You have been Invited on a Quest,

Courtesy of Sir and Lady Carter,

To rescue Princess Margaret Carter

Please report to the Phoenix Offices 

Good luck, Young Hero!

The words glared back at him in a menacing print condemning Steve to a life he wasn’t ready for. He thought he would be able to coast by and never be required to save a princess or go to the Garden. He thought he would be able to lay low and gain no notoriety at all. 

He thought wrong. 

“So…” Bucky’s eyes glistened with mischief. “Who’s it from?” He grinned, unable to control his excitement. Steve set the small card down and tried to smile reassuringly. Bucky’s own smile faltered slightly.

“Uh—” Steve cleared his throat. “It’s from the Carters…” Bucky sat up straighter. His eyes widened at the possibilities of what this could mean. The Carters were one of the wealthiest families but they barely went out into society. 

Bucky whistled, “Not gonna lie, Stevie, I’m a little jealous. Do you think I could be your plus one to the party?” Bucky teased. Steve blushed, he would think about Bucky’s suggestion later. 

“Um, no, Buck— Not that I wouldn’t bring you! I would totally want you as my— ehm, plus one…but it’s not a Ball…”

“Oh.” 

“Yeah, oh.” 

“Stevie…I’m so sorry.” Bucky reached across the table and comfortingly patted Steve’s curled fist. Steve wanted to turn his hand over and just hold Bucky’s. Instead he pulled away from the temptation and smiled somberly.  “But hey! This’ll probably be a silly little trip into the forest or something, you’ll be fine—” Bucky’s smile did not reach his eyes, they reflected the dread that Steve was feeling. Invitations were common in their society, but they were usually only for Balls or Competitions, hardly ever for something as dangerous as a Quest. Typically Quests were discussed beforehand so that all parties are aware of the dangers to come. Bucky, for example, had never been Invited on a Quest. He wasn’t a Knight, he didn’t need to be. As a Prince Bucky was expected to charm Princesses. Steve could see Bucky’s own anxieties seeping through his usually cool demeanor. This was new territory for him as well. “—Of course some people do die in the woods…but those guys are mainly idiots and you’re the smartest guy I know!” 

“You must not know a lot of guys then.” Steve joked wryly. Bucky’s grin was back and he relaxed back into his chair, tapping his hand against the table. 

“That’s the spirit! Okay— So we can go to the Phoenix Offices after breakfast—”

“Oh but what about your birthday?” Steve hoped to distract Bucky and possibly get out of this Quest. 

Bucky waved his hand dismissively and started eating his pancakes vigorously. “We’ll just celebrate when we get back.” Steve stared down at his plate of half eaten pancakes; he wasn’t feeling too hungry anymore. Bucky threw his dishes in the sink then gave a quick goodbye as he went home to get ready. Steve stayed at the table praying desperately for time to stop and delay the inevitable. The Carters were so wealthy they could be the ruling family if they wanted, and the Rogers’ were nobodies compared to them. If Steve backed out they could sue him, imprison him or even have him put to death him— who knows?! 

Steve gave up on finishing his food and put the leftovers in the fridge for another day. He couldn’t understand the situation he found himself in. He had never met the Carters before, his family had no relation to them as far as he knew. How did he get onto their radar? He trudged up the stairs to his room to get changed. He could not delay the inevitable. Coulson seemed to have reached that conclusion as well based on the outfit he’d set out for Steve. A forest green dragon-hide patterned jacket with a mesh top underneath. Steve might die today, but at least he’d die looking good. 

Steve kneeled before the home altar in the foyer and recited a small prayer to Atlas, the Barnes’ patron God, for protection and endurance. He picked a stone from the small bowl of stones at the crest of the altar and placed it carefully in a small blue velvet pouch and placed said pouch in his inner jacket pocket. By carrying around the stone he would be taking away some of the weight from Atlas’ shoulders. Even though it was such a small amount Atlas was always very grateful for the compassion of Atlyn citizens. Steve lit some incense and rose from the altar. He awkwardly paced around the foyer waiting for Bucky to arrive with the carriage. He peeked out the window, but still nothing. 

The stone resting against his chest helped him feel calmer. It felt like a good omen for this journey. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. But then he remembered his dream about losing Bucky. He had to make sure Bucky stayed as far away from harm as possible. 

Bucky pulled up in the sleek black carriage that was only used for travel to the station and waved when he saw Steve lurking in the window. Steve smiled nervously, said a small prayer and left the house. Coulson stopped him before he could leave the threshold. 

“I just want to say,” Coulson looked different as he spoke to Steve now. Normally he was a well put together, unfazed man with a pleasant smile always gracing his lips but now he looked small with a hint of nervousness sneaking through the crack of his nonplussed facade. Steve felt like this was a final goodbye and he could see Coulson visibly struggling to find the words to say. Steve made the first move and embraced his father-figure in a bone-crushing hug. He tried to convey all the emotions he was feeling, gratefulness, guilt and compassion, into his hug. Coulson sighed with his whole body and wrapped his arms around Steve while Steve buried his face deeper into Coulson’s neck, willing himself not to cry. Coulson gently stroked Steve’s back and whispered calming words to him. “You’ll come back,” he spoke softly. “We have unfinished business.”

With that their hug broke apart. Steve put on a brave face and Coulson put on his unaffected facade. Steve was leaving his home in good hands, he only hoped he would be able to come back. Coulson was right, he had unfinished business. With a new determination Steve turned around and started towards the carriage. Steve’s breath caught as he met Bucky in the driveway. 

He looked absolutely gorgeous. 

He always did. Steve could never pull off such revealing threads with as much confidence as Bucky did. Today he was wearing a cropped leather jacket with multiple necklaces overlapping one another pretending to be a shirt and parachute pants with the pockets cut out to show off his lithe frame. Bucky was the epitome of Garden fashion. Travel to the Garden always required such ostentatious and embellished outfits. Since the Gods lived there it was considered holy ground and therefore everyone who set foot in the Garden must look presentable. And Bucky looked worthy of worship. 

“Aww, look at you Stevie, all dressed up and ready for your first Invitation.” Bucky cooed. Steve blushed and rolled his eyes. 

“This isn’t my first Invitation.” The footman opened the door to the carriage and Steve lifted himself inside. 

“Fine,” Bucky climbed into the carriage. “But it’s your first Quest.” Steve couldn’t argue with that. Bucky took a seat across from Steve. Bucky was looking like sin casually stretched against the deep velvet seat and the black walls. He was a proper byronic hero gazing out of the window with an air of mystery, his jaw on full display and  _ fuck _ . Steve would love to paint him like this, just study him for hours to capture every intimate detail. But that would make it incredibly obvious how in love Steve is. So he turned his head and stared at the flora outside the window. 

Steve felt stifled to be surrounded by so much green. His mother had loved plants, she’d tended to her garden everyday and the plants repaid her hard work in earnest. Steve couldn’t grow shit, but he still took care of his mother's garden and the family farm. It was really all the Rogers family had. 

The trip to the station was longer due to the travel by carriage. Steve was annoyed by all these antiquated rules and requirements. The Garden seemed like a grossly extravagant place, even more so than Gea itself. It was where all the wealthy people threw their money into these “fantasies” that they paid to make a reality. Fetishizing the past and trying to make their lives more difficult in order to gain some sort of pleasure. 

Steve hated Events. 

Balls were a waste of money for some rich kid to hit on a bunch of people. Quests were the super elite’s way of maintaining power by killing off or marrying those they could exploit (like Steve). And tournaments were fake and rigged. Steve would know as he had attended and unfairly lost multiple in the service of the Barnes family. Steve lost points during the joust for “disorderly conduct.” It was the other guy that was being a dick, but Steve hadn’t known until later that he was the Knight for the infamous Pierce family. Who also happened to be the ruling family of Gea. 

It was after that Event that Steve was informed that he was no longer welcome to attend Competitions. It was after that Event that Steve was harshly awakened to the reality of this system and the world around him. 

“The Station, m’lords.” The footman opened the carriage door and the two of them stepped out. The Station was like a normal train station with the platform and the ticket booth, the only exception being this one only carried one train.  Jormungandr. The only way to get to the Garden was to ride Jormungandr. Named after the mythical snake, and rightly so. The train went through Yggdrasil. On this end it was a giant black pit blocked off to the rest of the world by some magical forcefield. Steve had never been to any of the other realms and to be honest he didn’t know how to get there. He assumed it must be another stop at a different station. 

There were about fifty people at the Station in total. All as ostentatiously dressed as Steve and Bucky. 

The train arrived in a flash, coiling around the circular track until it slowed to a stop. Stan waved from the front of the train. He was the Avatar to the Gods of travel and the messenger Gods. He was a kind old man, Steve had run into him a couple of times picking up presents from altars. Steve waved back politely. 

The doors opened and a few people got off. One woman was fixing her sheer blouse as she was stepping off. Another man was clearly hung over and winced at the sudden daylight. Most people didn’t return from Quests early in the morning, these people had probably gone to a Ball the night before. 

Bucky held Steve’s hand and pulled them forward to the opened doors. Steve’s heart stopped. He was trying very hard not to panic and start sweating and make whatever was going on now stop. The official standing near the entrance put his hand out for their Invitation, he focused briefly on their intertwined hands but didn’t say anything. Steve didn’t hear a word of what he said, too focused on Bucky’s delicate and soft hand that was wrapped around his own. Bucky nudged him and gestured towards the official. “Show him your invitation, babe.” Bucky smiled but it was one of his diplomatic smiles. Steve handed the official the small card and his own I.D. The man returned the cards and waved them in. The cart was pretty empty so they took a booth near the back. Bucky let go of Steve’s hand and Steve immediately missed the warmth. 

“I’m sorry, Steve. I don’t have an Invitation, he wouldn’t have let me on the train without one. Had to make it seem like we were together.” Bucky explained sheepishly. Steve understood and dropped the subject. Just another moment for his emotional vault. 

“Sirs and Madams, please take your seats, we will be leaving shortly.” Stan spoke throughout the train. Bucky tapped Steve’s arm to get his attention. 

“Hey, is it cool if I meditate?” He asked. 

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead.” Steve replied. Bucky grinned and pulled his legs into the seat to get in a comfortable position. The train jolted with its initial movement. 

“I absolutely hate riding the train, it makes me nauseous.” Bucky opened his palms, closed his eyes, and started his breathing exercises. Steve tried to look outside the window but all he could see was darkness. The train was moving so fast it felt like it wasn’t moving at all. Steve could understand why Bucky chose to spend this time meditating instead of staring into the abyss, knowing they were falling, but unable to feel the ground underneath them give way. 

When Steve couldn’t handle looking out the window anymore, he turned his attention to Bucky who now seemed to be in a trance. Bucky was a proper prince. He had perfectly coiffed chocolate brown hair, a dashing smile and a lithe but strong figure. His face was completely relaxed and serene with his lips parted slightly, the dimple in his chin ever prominent and his worry-lines temporarily faded. Steve felt calmer just by looking at him. 

_ He lunged desperately to reach the so-soft hand he had recently become acquainted with. Their fingertips brushed.  _ The images from his dream flashed in his mind’s eye. Bucky couldn’t come with him. Bucky shouldn’t have come with him. Steve should put a stop to all this. Why did Bucky even want to come on the Quest? Steve could fight for himself. Whatever horror and torture the Carters might have planned for him he could handle it, Bucky didn’t have to. Steve was the Barnes’ Knight, but really he was Bucky’s Knight. Bucky’s shield. He would protect Bucky with his heart and soul. 

As Steve watched Bucky meditate, his thoughts fell into a whirlwind of emotions. He wanted to protect Bucky, while simultaneously accepting Bucky’s own autonomy. He wanted to be selfish and just keep Bucky by his side at all times. He wanted Bucky’s unmarred forehead, soft hands and bright eyes to remain the same forever. 

Bucky’s mouth opened as if to put in his own two-cents about what should happen to him. But no quip or sarcastic advice left those perfectly pink lips. Instead a horrific shrill scream penetrated through the cabin. Bucky’s eyes shot open and he violently grabbed Steve by the front of his shirt and held on for dear life. 

The few people who shared their cabin looked up, concerned, but Steve gave them a placating smile to get them to look away. Steve had no idea what was going on but he definitely didn’t need whatever this was to end up ruining Bucky’s reputation. Bucky stopped screaming but still had Steve’s shirt in a vice grip and was panting heavily. His eyes kept flickering around the train as if he wasn’t sure where he was. 

“Hey Buck, look at me.” Steve hesitantly put his hand on Bucky’s arm to get his attention. Bucky stared right through him, shaking like a cornered rabbit. “Hey,” Steve said again softly, trying to make eye contact with Bucky. “You’re okay.” He said. “You’re on the train, with me. Do you know who I am?” He asked. Bucky nodded after a moment. 

Steve sighed in relief. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if Bucky didn’t recognize him. The grounding seemed to work as Bucky’s breath started evening out and his eyes went back to their normal size. He slowly let go of Steve’s shirt but didn’t remove his hand completely. He rested his palm against Steve’s wrist as if Steve would disappear if Bucky wasn’t somehow touching him. 

“Excuse me, sirs,” A young woman dressed in the red Gean official’s uniform stopped by their seats. “Is everything okay?” She asked. Her tone of voice would’ve made Steve lie and say “yes everything is okay'' in order not to bother her. 

“Yes, everything’s perfectly fine. Just thought I saw a spider.” Bucky replied smoothly and even flashed her his signature lady-killer smile. It seemed to melt her icy disposition somewhat and she gave them a curt nod and went to check on the other guests. 

Bucky’s smile faded as he turned urgently back to Steve. “Buck, what’s going on?” Steve asked. He had never seen Bucky behave like this before. Of the two of them he was always the more relaxed and competent. 

“I had a vision.” Bucky replied. Steve sat up straighter. It wasn’t uncommon to receive visions; hell, Steve’s dream last night would’ve been considered a vision but Steve was in desperate denial. Whatever Bucky saw terrified him. It just seemed like everything was going wrong. 

“I saw you.” 

Bucky’s voice was barely above a whisper. As if saying what he saw out loud would solidify Steve’s fate. “I saw you in a cave, you were about to pick up this giant diamond, and then—” Bucky buried his face in his palms. Steve had never heard Bucky like this, so broken. “You were surrounded by fire, engulfed in the flames.” Bucky stared earnestly into Steve’s eyes. Steve could see the tears swimming in that beautiful blue ocean. “I couldn’t save you.” He choked out. 

Bucky’s hold on Steve’s wrist grew tighter again as he went on about his dream. Steve flipped his hand over and held Bucky’s to be a source of comfort instead of anxiety. “It’ll be okay, Buck.” Bucky roughly tore his hand away. He looked bitterly at Steve. 

“They’re sending you to dragon country.” He said. No longer was he hesitant or scared. Bucky had a new found determination and Steve wasn’t sure what triggered it. The news of dragon country was just speculation, but Steve knew deep down Bucky was right. He knew what this Quest was. “They’re going to kill you.” 

The Carters had unofficially sentenced Steve to death. It wasn’t uncommon to get rid of someone this way. Invite them on an impossibly dangerous Quest. They’re unable to refuse. Problem solved. The most famous of these murders occured in dragon country. Maybe the Carters knew Steve’s secret and  _ that _ was why they were trying to kill him. He had been so completely careful, covering his tracks.  _ No one _ knew what Steve got up to in his free time.

Yet here he was. Stuck. On a literal train to his death. Of all the ways Steve thought he would go out, ‘being Invited on a Quest’ was not one of them. If anything he thought he would die by his own recklessness. 

Steve understood there was nothing he could do. For the first time in his life Steve let out a sigh of defeat. “Might as well go out fighting.” Steve offered Bucky a cheeky smile. Steve could still see the anxiety behind Bucky’s eyes, the ocean refused to calm. Bucky finally let go of Steve’s wrist and placed his hands casually on the leather armrest. 

“I have to know though,” he started. “Just to make sure this isn’t some random dream and it actually means something— Did you  _ see _ anything?” Bucky’s voice is pleading and earnest. The only hope that this might have all been just a regular dream spurred by anxiety about the Quest lay in Steve’s response. 

But he couldn’t cause Bucky any more pain. 

He widened his eyes to feign innocence and pursed his lips to mimic thinking. “I have not.” He replied casually and shook his head. “I just…dreamt, with ya know, random, subconscious images of… ducks and bowties?” Bucky studied Steve longer than was comfortable. Steve was squirming under Bucky’s immovable gaze. Every second of quiet made Steve want to shout out the truth that yes, he had seen something. Steve had to bite his lips shut to physically stop himself. 

“Steve.” Not Stevie. Steve. “What Did. You. See?” 

“Nothing.” 

Steve winced at his own lie. He didn’t mean to deny it so quickly. Bucky looked so disappointed in him. It broke Steve’s heart. 

“You’re a terrible liar.” Bucky sighed and leaned back against his head rest, staring out into the cabin rather than face Steve. “Just tell me what you saw. I need to know how serious this is.” He sounded so tired. 

“I can’t tell you, Buck.” Steve answered quietly. “But I promise you I didn’t see anything about my death.” Steve’s heart was beating erratically. It wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t the whole truth. His dream had nothing to do with  _ his own _ death, Bucky didn’t need to know whose death it was. 

Bucky accepted Steve’s answer for now. 

“Good morning, Lords and Ladies!” Stan’s raspy voice came on over the intercom. “I hope you’ve all buckled up because we’re going to be arriving in the Garden in about—” there was a harsh brake that pulled Steve forward out of his seat. Bucky laughed at him. He offered a hand to Steve once the train stopped moving but Steve was too prideful and swatted it away. 

Bucky unbuckled his seatbelt and straightened out his clothes and hair as much as he could before looking at Steve for permission to exit. Steve pulled himself up off the ground and fixed his own clothes. He stretched his arm forward gesturing for Bucky to lead the way. They exited the train and Bucky took in a big breath of Garden air as they stepped onto the platform. 

The Garden station was blindingly white and filled only with those who were on the train with them. Only a few residents ever left the Garden. Steve could see the weight being lifted from Bucky’s shoulders as he walked through the station. He loved the Garden. He could see it in the way Bucky talked about his trips. He could see it in all the clothes Bucky owned. He could see it in the way Bucky lounged around the house so completely bored when he didn’t have a Ball to run off to. But Bucky could never join this society. 

Bucky, while still a Prince, was only the sovereign of a very small principality. Atlyn citizens loved their Prince, he was their little darling. But the rest of Gea didn’t care about what one tiny area thought. So the Barnes family ranked low in terms of power and wealth. They could not afford to join the Garden permanently like many other families. So Bucky could only get his kicks by charming random Princesses who had money and would Invite him to come see them. 

Steve hated the Garden. The too-bright station that made it impossible to see where he was going. The ostentatious entryway that was too tall to read. The ridiculous people who had nothing better to do than to throw money at fantasies. Steve wasn’t welcomed in this society. 

He had only come once on the aforementioned Tournament to represent the Barnes family. But after getting into an unscheduled brawl with the Royal Knight, Steve was very much not welcomed anymore. He did not mind. He only regretted the fact that the Barnes family could not use their Captain to represent them anymore. It was like sending a child to build a house. Maybe they could do it, but the odds were highly unlikely. 

“This way, Steve.” Bucky looped his arm with Steve’s and pulled them towards the giant gate. There was no one there to wave them in but as if sensing their presence the gate opened itself and unveiled the Garden to them. The two were greeted with a bustling metropolis of grand stadiums, interwoven flying tracks, skyscrapers and colosseums. The buildings were stacked one on top of the other. Steve could hardly see the sky. 

Steve turned away from the noise and looked back towards the station. It was a sight he had only seen once but kept with him all these years. He wasn’t sure if it was a figment of his imagination or not but it was the only part of the Garden he liked. 

Yggdrasil. 

The tree of life. 

It stood tall above the gates while on the other end of it was a black pit. This was the tree they used to travel across the accessible realms. The Gods only allowed travel to the Garden, Gea and the Underworld. Those in the Spirit Realm could travel as well but only for special occasions or with special permission. No one wanted to travel to the Underworld. Steve’s heard the stories of demons who would torture you if you went down the wrong alley, witches who would sell you a cursed map, and damned souls who would switch places with you if you were not careful. 

Bucky pulled Steve out of his reverie literally by dragging him across the busy street to one of the taller buildings on the block. It was a simple, four walled building but was as tall as the entryway gate. The Garden was already on a higher plane than Gea, did they really need to have such tall buildings too? 

There was only one entrance and Bucky happily took the first step. The doors gave way to a small lobby with just a kiosk of a front desk and no waiting area. Steve never expected the Phoenix Office to be so plain. A hub for all Quest-goers and Invitees yet it was like an old fashioned cubicle. They didn’t even have cubicles anymore on Gea. The woman at the front desk was an attractive brunette. The frown lines on her face, however, marked her as someone not to be trifled with. She briefly looked up to see who had arrived. Steve knew her, but when she failed to acknowledge him Steve made no move to make their acquaintance known. 

She shuffled some papers aside, hiding them under a manila folder. She turned her attention fully to them now but looked incredibly annoyed by their arrival. “Hi,” Bucky took the lead and smiled at her, hoping to ease her demeanor like he had the woman on the train. “We’ve been Invited—” he issued for Steve to give her the Invitation. Steve nervously gave her the card, wondering if she would acknowledge him now. Maybe a subtle touch, or a moment of eye contact. She did neither of those things and turned to her computer, she didn’t even spare the card more than a glance. “And we were told—” 

“Your Quest-worker is waiting for you on the 18th floor. Room 1804.” With that she shuffled her papers more to appear busy. Bucky and Steve took the hint and headed to the glass elevator. Steve pushed the button and the doors immediately opened. Bucky pushed the button for the 18th floor and headed to the center of the elevator. He watched the doors as Steve watched him, leaning against the back wall. 

Steve moved forward a little so his hand rested on the small of Bucky’s back. A warm reminder that Steve was there with him. Bucky exhaled and smiled gratefully but remained focused on the doors. Luckily those fancy Garden elevators worked quickly and they made it to the 18th floor in seconds. 

Bucky grabbed his head from the sudden rush of the elevator stopping. Steve added pressure to the hand on his back urging him forward. Bucky stepped out and breathed easily when they entered the hallway. It was a long, narrow corridor stretching off in both directions with no end in sight. There were no windows and only dim light fixtures to illuminate the hall. Steve turned around to make sure they were on the right floor. 

“ **18th Floor”** It read in gold embossed letters. Steve decided to trust his gut and turned down the left hallway. Bucky followed behind him hesitantly. The doors were spread apart so Steve and Bucky had to walk a bit in order to determine if the numbers were getting bigger or smaller. 

As they traversed deeper into the corridor, they heard the thumping sound of heavy footsteps. The hallway was so long and the echo so loud it was impossible to tell from which direction the sound was coming from. Paralyzed with fear, the two stayed put arching forward to hear where the sound was. They were not sure whether they wanted to avoid it or go toward it.

The decision wasn’t theirs to make as a hulking man emerged from the shadows. “Sir Rogers!” His voice bellowed throughout the hall. The man kept moving forward towards the two. 

“Yes, sir?” Steve called to the darkness, unwilling to show fear. The man was finally close enough for Steve to see him clearly. He was indeed a brute of a man. He towered over and was built far heavier than Steve. His hair was longer and more traditional for those in the Garden, and he wore a beard. It was a fad Steve had been toying with but never actually tried. 

The man stopped in front of them and smiled so brightly that his eyes turned into little crescent moons. He stuck out his hand for Steve to shake. “My name is Thor Odinson, I will be your Quest-worker. Please follow me— And bring your friend too!” He added belatedly like he had just noticed Bucky was there. Steve shook his huge hand and gave a look to Bucky. He shrugged his shoulders and gestured for Steve to follow along. 

It turned out they were going in the wrong-right direction. The hallway wrapped around itself so if they kept going this way they would have reached the right door but it would have taken them a long time. Thor’s office was as comically small as he was large. It seemed like a hazing prank someone would do. The office was shared with another man. He was almost the exact opposite of Thor, his hair was jet black and greasy, where Thor was large and bulky this man was long and limber. 

Just like the lady at the front desk the man barely offered more than a cursory glance at them as they entered. Instead of pretending like he was doing something important he openly leaned back in his chair with his feet rested on the wooden desk. 

“I apologize for the tight fit— but as they say, beggars can’t be choosers!” Thor clapped his hands and went around to sit at his desk. He looked at Steve and Bucky expectantly. When neither of them moved he sighed and reached under his desk. He pulled out a form and an empty manila folder. Thor was suddenly being much more professional than he was a moment ago. “Now then, since this is such an unusual case there will only be one form to fill out— by me, your Fairy Godparent— so this means I’ll have to—” 

“Wait what?” Steve interrupted. Thor looked up from his form with a raised eyebrow. “You’re a Fairy Godparent?”

Thor sighed like he had heard this exact question a hundred times before. “Yes, I am your Fairy Godparent, please hold all questions until the end. As I was saying, due to the unusual nature of your Quest I will be joining along and filling out this form.” Thor held the paper so Steve could take a glimpse at it. It was a checklist of some sort with empty boxes all along the left hand side. “Usually there is a planning period where both parties come together and plan an outline of the Quest, however that is not the case with you.” Thor’s eyes twinkled with curiosity. 

“So I will follow along as part of your party— You are allowed a small party of travellers, however we will deal with that matter later. I will not be allowed to help you, I’m only here to supervise. In the case that you or anyone in your party should require magical assistance my brother will be there to help as he is a licensed Witch.” Thor issued to the greasy haired man on the other desk. The man grinned devilishly at Steve and winked. Steve wondered if he was stuck with this man or if he could request some other Witch to help him. 

Thor was giving Steve a lot of information but he was still filled with questions. His inquiries seemed to double as Thor kept talking about things Steve didn’t understand. Bucky didn’t seem confused at all though. He was taking in everything Thor was saying with rapt interest and apparent comprehension. Thor said Steve’s situation was unusual but the way Bucky understood so easily made him wonder if this was actually normal procedure. 

“In the case of an untimely death, as there has been no premeditated contract, all of your possessions will fall to the remainder of your household.” Thor pulled up a contract from his file cabinet and set it in front of Steve. It was a piece of paper with a paragraph of tiny font describing word for word what Thor had said. Steve’s heart sank as he signed his name, he felt like he was signing his own death certificate. 

“Splendid! Now we can discuss your party—” 

“I’m joining.” Bucky said. Steve’s head snapped towards him.

“No you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. Quests are dangerous, even more so on your own. I’m joining. What do I need to sign?” Bucky picked up Steve’s discarded pen and looked at Thor expectantly. Thor either did not notice or did not care about Steve’s disapproval. 

When Thor was no longer paying attention to them, more concerned with finding the right document, Steve snatched the pen from Bucky’s hand. “I can’t let you come with me, it’s dangerous,” Steve hissed. 

“Exactly, that’s why I’m coming.” Bucky reached for the pen in Steve’s hand. Steve pulled it out of reach. Bucky shot a look to see if anyone was watching. 

“Bucky I can’t let you—” 

“Steve.” Something in Bucky’s voice made Steve halt. “I told you about my dream,  _ please.” _ His eyes were pleading for Steve to let him stay. Steve could never say no when Bucky looked at him like that. So hopeful, so frantic. Like Steve was an oasis of water and Bucky was a traveller in the desert. If Steve said no… 

Wordlessly he handed back the pen, admitting defeat. Bucky smiled graciously at him and was practically bouncing in his seat. He signed a contract, almost exactly like the one Steve signed. Thor tucked all these papers away into the little manila folder and left his checklist on top. Steve focused and tried to read the lettering at the top of the list. 

“”The Hero’s Journey”? Like the story template in writing?” Steve’s mouth had apparently had no filter to prevent him from asking such a trivial question. But it confused him why something like that would be an integral part of his Quest. Thor beamed at him, once again turning into the jovial giant they met outside.

“Yes, exactly like that! Are you a writer?” 

“N—”

“No, he’s an artist!” Bucky replied. Thor raised his eyebrows and gave Steve an appraising look. Most people didn’t expect a man of Steve’s stature to do something as delicate as art. They expected ultimate fighting, drinking in pubs, gallivanting with women, etcetera. Masculine things. 

“Really?” Thor asked. He was probably one of those manly-men himself. Steve hoped the two of them wouldn’t have a problem. 

“Yep! He’s the best artist I’ve ever met. He has this way of just capturing the tiny details— It’s just!— Guh!” Bucky’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Steve so fondly. Bucky never criticized Steve for his interest, in fact Bucky consistently encouraged Steve to pursue art as a full time career. It was him who’d convinced the Barnes family to give Steve a proper art teacher when they were kids. It was him who dutifully posed whenever Steve needed a muse. It was him who was always by Steve’s side, yet Steve had no way to repay him. Even now, Bucky was following Steve on a dangerous Quest, and Steve hadn’t even warned him about what danger might befall him. 

“Well, The Temple of Thor has been looking for an artist, perhaps I’ll add Sir Steven’s name to the drawing pool— Hah! Drawing pool! Get it?” Bucky laughed politely at Thor’s joke. His posture slacked from being completely rigid to leaning back a little in his chair. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Bucky said. “Did your parents purposely name you Thor?” It was common practice in the Garden to name kids after Gods in hopes that they might favor the child. Sometimes this backfired however as the God might get offended if the child was particularly unruly. Thor laughed boisterously. 

“Yes they did! I am the Avatar for the God Thor.” Thor smiled. Bucky and Steve’s eyes immediately widened and their faces reddened in embarrassment. Bucky dropped to his knees first and Steve followed shortly after. Bucky lowered his head and started praying. 

“Blessed be, those eyes which see all for the Mighty Thor. Blessed be those hands, which I have had the honor to shake. Blessed be—” 

“Please, please, Sirs. There is no need for ceremony. I am Thor Odinson, the Government worker now, not  _ Thor, God of Thunder and Lightning _ . If anything I should be bowing to you two.” Thor smiled warmly at them. Steve and Bucky slowly got up, still embarrassed by everything that had just happened. Steve wasn’t sure what to make of the situation anymore. He had never actually met an Avatar before and to now be working closely with one had sent his mind reeling. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just…ya know.” Bucky blushed trying to apologize. He could no longer look Thor in the eye and Thor seemed to find the entire display endearing. Steve felt a pang of jealousy and wished he could somehow show Thor that Bucky was off limits while simultaneously not making it super clear he was into Bucky. 

“It’s quite alright. I come from a long line of Avatars, actually. My parents represent Odin and Frigga, my brother,” he gestured towards his officemate “Loki—” Bucky’s eyes widened and the man smirked. Steve reached out to Bucky’s arm to stop him from going on his knees again. Loki frowned and clicked his tongue then looked away. 

“I was hoping they would start worshipping me,” he mumbled. Thor laughed like he had just told the funniest joke and Steve became even warier of this gentleman. He didn’t feel particularly safe with the God of Mischief in his party. He definitely wasn’t going to voice that thought out loud though, who knew what kind of punishment he might receive then. 

Thor calmed down from laughing and wiped away a stray tear. “Now then,” he pulled out another folder; this one was much thicker and contained multicolored folders inside, “Let’s get to building this party.” He opened Steve’s thin manila folder and started writing on the inside cover. “We have, Sir Steven Rogers, Prince James Barnes, me— Thor Odinson— and Loki Odinson.” He wrote the names as he spoke and then counted them quietly under his breath. “Okay, so that’s four, that means you have room for  _ one  _ shapeshifter.” Thor smiled at Steve like he was supposed to know what that meant. 

“Do people request more than one?” Bucky asked, because that was the real question here. 

“Sometimes,” Thor responded, “if there’s no party restriction they’ll get a hoard of shapeshifters. But your party limits you to five people so you only get one.” Thor turned the attention back to Steve as he waited for his response. 

“Uh…so…. What do shapeshifters do… exactly?” Steve asked. Bucky blushed red, embarrassed as he remembered that Steve had little to no experience with the Garden. 

“Right, Sir Steven, this is your first Quest?” 

“Yes, I’ve been Invited before, but those were for Tournaments and stuff. So I just had to show up and fight, not do—” he gestured wildly around “any of this.” Steve laughed nervously. Thor tried his best to calm Steve’s nerves by maintaining a warm smile. He unbound the large stack of folders and separated them based on color. 

“So these are all the shapeshifter profiles we have on record. You just choose the one you would like to join you on your Quest. Shapeshifters are meant to be companions on this trip, and can be quite helpful in certain situations. They’re all the advantages of an animal but with the mind of a human.” Thor explained. Steve could vaguely understand but he was overwhelmed by the options he had. Each species seemed to be separated by a colored folder. 

The blue ones contained aquatic shifters, Steve didn’t think those would do well in Dragon country so he set them aside. The green ones contained reptiles, Steve didn’t really enjoy the thought of having a lizard follow him around. The purple ones contained insects and Steve was nervous he might accidentally step on them. He knew Bucky would be nervous because he absolutely hated bugs. The brown ones contained land mammals, Steve flipped through it for a while but didn’t really feel anything towards these shifters. He switched to the red folders which were filled with birds. He was looking for something more than just advantageous. He was listening to his gut trying to find which one of these shifters was meant to be his companion. He flipped and flipped and flipped and— 

There he was. 

He could feel it in his gut this was who he wanted in his party. He felt almost giddy about it. He set the crimson file down and handed it to Thor. “I would like to request him to be in my party.” Thor studied the profile for a moment and nodded. He jotted down the name underneath Loki’s on the inside of the manila folder. 

_ Sam Wilson _

Thor turned to his phone and dialed a number. “Hi Miss Hill,” he greeted, “would you kindly let Mr. Sam Wilson know that he has been requested to join a Quest party. Thank you!” He set the receiver down and his eyes gleamed with excitement. “Well, Sir Steven, you have finished building your party. Sam will arrive shortly. For now I think you’re ready to receive your Quest map.” Thor handed Steve a card, just like the one he was Invited with and sat back to watch his reaction. 

**_Sir Steven G. Rogers, Congratulations on accepting the Quest!_ **

**_Princess Margaret Carter is waiting for you in Dragon Country._ **

**_Please travel along the Yellow Brick Road until you reach the forest._ **

**_From there you must follow the map until you reach your weapon and the castle._ **

**_Good luck, Young Hero!_ **

**_Dir. Antony Stark_ **


	4. Chapter Three

Steve reread the last line over and over again. Surely there must have been some mistake. It couldn’t be  _ that _ Anthony Stark. It had to be some other, more competent Stark. Someone like Howard Stark who just happened to be a close personal acquaintance of Steve’s. Who Steve knew would never purposely put him in harm's way. 

Bucky snatched the card from his hand and quickly read through it. He jolted back slightly in surprise and a small “oh” escaped his lips. He sheepishly slid the card back to Steve. Steve reread the card one more time, maybe something had changed after Bucky touched it, but nope. It was still the same instructions glaring back at him. 

“Oh,” he said. He flipped the card over once, looking for something. “Where’s the map?” Both Thor and the instructions had mentioned some sort of map, Steve assumed it would be on the card but it was as blank as the first one he received. Thor was standing up, preparing to leave and looked up at Steve as he asked his question. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “It’ll show up when you need it. For now we should head to the garage.” Thor clipped Steve’s checklist onto a clipboard and picked something up from under the desk. It was a plate of armor that Thor casually lowered onto himself as if it didn’t weigh about a hundred pounds. Loki got up with an annoyed sigh and eyeroll. He leaned under his own desk and picked up a long golden staff with a curved blade at the tip and a gemstone that was glowing a ghastly shade of blue. 

Bucky looked like he was about to go down on his knees again seeing the armor of these two Gods but Steve quickly stopped him with a warning hand to his waist. Bucky then asked with a petulant voice, “Do I get to have any weapons?”

According to the instructions it seemed like Steve would be picking up a weapon along the way however it did not mention anything about his party-members. Thor shook his head. “No, you only get to use whatever weapons you came with.” He answered. 

“Oh,” Bucky pouted. He was behaving like a child who was just told they couldn’t have anymore ice cream because they’d just eaten it all. Steve became nervous once again. How could he trust that Bucky would be okay if Bucky didn’t have any weapons? Steve seemed to be the only one who recognized this very dangerous situation. 

“Better hope you don’t have to fight off any bandits.” Loki said with an easy smile. Thor laughed boisterously again and Bucky joined in, albeit nervously. Thor waved Loki off as joking while Steve could see that Bucky had realized the situation he was now in. 

Steve hung back a bit as Thor led everyone out the door. He reached to hold Bucky’s hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. Bucky smiled softly and let out a deep breath. The group headed back to the elevator and while Steve let go of Bucky’s hand he still held onto the cuff of his jacket in order to provide some comfort. The four got in and Thor pushed the button under the lobby labelled “Garage.” Just as the doors were about to close a man’s voice called out from the hallway. 

“Hold the elevator!”. 

Thor stuck out one of his huge hands to block the doors from closing. The group waited for the man to join them, however moments passed and they couldn’t even hear footsteps of anyone approaching. Even Thor looked concerned for the invisible man and was about to call out when a bird wildly flew into the elevator. 

Bucky immediately started screaming as the blood-colored falcon circled over his head looking for a perch to land on. Bucky kept frantically running his hand through his hair as if the bird was sitting on him. Steve tried to shoo the bird away but it didn’t seem to want to leave from Bucky’s side. Thor was trying to move around the elevator following after the bird. Once he removed his hand the doors shut and the glass box started moving at an amazing speed. This then caused everyone to freak out even more and Loki to laugh even harder at everyone’s misfortune. Soon the doors opened, Bucky didn’t even have time to right himself as he quickly ran out of the elevator with the bird following close behind. 

“Why’s it still chasing me?!” Bucky yelled behind him. Steve followed after, hoping that the open area would give the bird space to disappear. It was only after Thor clapped his hands together creating a thunderous boom did everyone stop. The smile on Thor’s face was completely out of place for the current situation. 

“Well then, now that the party is all together let’s pick out a vehicle.” He said. 

“Our party is— Wait so  _ this _ is Sam Wilson?” Steve said incredulously as he pointed at the bird circling Bucky. 

“Yep,” the bird replied as it simultaneously shifted back into the form of a human. He was a fit man almost as tall as Steve, with dark skin and a gap between his teeth that showed when he smiled like he was doing now. He was wearing a leather shirt the same color as his wings with a deep vee neckline and a high collar that was decorated with feathers. His eyes were filled with mirth, clearly enjoying the chaos he had created in the elevator. 

Bucky glared at the man in front of him and looked like he wanted to hit him for scaring him so much. Sam seemed to ignore the rage radiating from him and stuck out his hand with an easy smile. “Sorry ‘bout all that in the elevator, didn’t know you would get spooked so easily.” Bucky looked like he was about to ignore the handshake so Steve was preparing himself to accept the apology on his behalf. But then Bucky shook the man’s hand and even seemed to smile sincerely. 

“Any man would get a little freaked out with a bird of prey circling around their head.”

“It’s just that, you’re going on a dangerous Quest, and you’re getting freaked out by a bird. It’s a little weird.” Steve could see Bucky strain himself to continue smiling politely. The tension between the two was stifling and made Steve nervous. How could he ensure Bucky’s safety on the Quest if there was already this much infighting?

“Sir Rogers! Have you chosen your transport?” Thor’s voice came across the room echoing in every direction. Steve took this chance to look around and figure out exactly what he was doing. 

It seemed the garage, like the rest of the building, was nothing extraordinary. It was a dark, humid, emotionless slab of concrete that housed many vehicles. There were cars, trucks, and motorcycles like back in Gea but there were also carriages, horses and a menagerie of other animals Steve could use. Thor was holding up a broom as he waved to Steve and his group. That surely couldn’t have been an actual flying broomstick? 

Bucky was eyeing a sleek black limousine while Sam stayed next to Steve, seemingly content just to be there. “You don’t have a preference?” Steve asked in an attempt to make conversation. The corner of Sam’s mouth tilted upwards softly as he replied. 

“Most Knights have me fly ahead of the group and look-out for danger; we’re not really allowed to ride with the party.”

“We?” 

“Yeah, all of us shapeshifters.” Sam gestured widely to the garage. “All of this is for you and your regular friends. We’re just meant to protect you guys, if we get hurt along the way, so be it— After all, we are  _ just  _ animals,” Sam said with a hint of bitterness. Steve looked down at the ground in shame. Sam and other shapeshifters like him had clearly been wronged by these Quests that treated them as nothing more than canon fodder. 

“I’m sorry.” Steve recoiled the minute the words left his lips. He felt like even more of a jerk with nothing but a shallow apology to offer Sam. The shapeshifter could see Steve’s own embarrassment so he just patted him on the back and tried to diffuse the awkward tension. 

“We chose this life, right? All freedom comes with a price and this is ours. Now hurry up and pick out a steed so we can save your Princess.” 

“She’s actually not my—” but Sam had already started walking away to go bother Bucky. Steve could already see the tension in Bucky’s shoulders as Sam approached. While Steve thought Sam was a nice guy, Bucky seemed to be nothing but suspicious of him. Steve decided it best to look away and not get involved. He focused on trying to find the right  _ steed _ for his journey. While he loved horseback riding, he did not want to include another living creature in his party and potentially put them in harm's way. He turned to the rows upon rows of cars. 

While the limousine Bucky was looking at was nice, it was too flashy and inconvenient for Steve. They were supposed to be heading into the forest so a limousine would not be able to make it through, which meant most of the trip would be on foot. Steve passed by a small VW Beetle and thought about it for a moment before his own selfish desire for a nice car overcame him. “Three large men wouldn’t be able to fit comfortably” he told himself to assuage his guilt. It was when he reached the very far wall that he found what he was looking for. A motorcycle. 

He chose a bike that had a sidecar attached so Bucky could sit comfortably. He waved over to where he last saw Thor. “Mr. Odinson!” He yelled. “I would like to use this!” Thor’s head popped up along with Loki’s. Thor had an excited grin on his face while Loki had a doubtful eyebrow raised. 

Thor had rushed over with his clipboard and started flipping through the pages. “Ah, I seem to have left the vehicle rental form upstairs,” he said sheepishly. Thor seemed to really beat himself up mentally as the normally stalwart man was starting to cave in on himself. Surprisingly enough Loki was the one to comfort the big guy with a hesitant pat on the back. Like he feared Thor was going to bite him if he got close enough. 

“We can just fill it in later, _ if _ we come back.” Loki’s temporary crack of consideration was replaced once again by his malice filled smirk. Thor didn’t seem to catch the threat and carried on with renewed energy like a child after a nap. He made a note on the bottom of his checklist while Steve was trying to figure out Loki. 

The man clearly did not want to be here. He was not interested in helping them and had been doing nothing but laughing at their misfortune all day. Steve felt less confident about the group he found himself in. First there was Thor, who while a pleasant presence in their group, refused to actually help with anything aside from paperwork. Deadweight. Then there was Loki who was even more deadweight and Steve was pretty sure he was actively plotting against them. Sam seemed involved enough but he wasn’t sure how his relationship with Bucky would affect their party dynamic later on. Speaking of which, the entire scene in the elevator made Steve even more nervous. He never wanted Bucky to come along. But Bucky had experience in the Garden, Bucky could fight. However after witnessing his best friend lose his cool in an elevator because of a bird showed him exactly how inexperienced Bucky is. He, like Steve, had never been on a real Quest before. While Bucky had the training, he was blind to what real dangers lay ahead. 

And of course there was Steve himself. Who just like Bucky had the training but lacked the experience. He genuinely thought he would never get Invited and would never need his knowledge of monsters and Quest tropes that he studied in his Knight training camp. He chose a shield as his prime weapon of choice because of its symbolism. Not because he actually wanted to fight with it. Speaking of his shield. He’d actually forgotten it at home! How useless of a Knight was he. Steve wanted to kick himself he was so annoyed. He was definitely going to die. An absolute waste of a Knight he was. A disappointment. A—

Bucky was holding his hand. 

Bucky was  _ holding _ his hand. 

He didn’t notice when the other man came over and decided to latch onto him. Steve forgot all of his self-doubts as his brain went haywire over Bucky intentionally holding his hand for no reason. There were no guards to trick here. This was all Bucky’s choice. And he chose to hold  _ Steve’s _ hand. He felt like crying. 

“It’s going to be fine.” Bucky spoke softly. His thumb started circling gently on the top of Steve’s hand. “You were born to lead, I know it. You just need to get out of your head.” Steve sighed in relief. Bucky was right. He tended to get into his head too much and overthink things. The two stood in comfortable silence for a moment as Steve tried to relax. 

“I just don’t want you getting hurt.” He admitted. Bucky’s hand slipped out of Steve’s as he turned to face him. Bucky was looking at him like a mother looks at a crying child. 

“I’ll be fine, besides, it’s you I’m worried about.”

“How ‘bout this, I protect you, you protect me?” Steve suggested. Bucky chuckled and shook Steve’s hand. 

“Deal. Now, did you decide on a car?” He asked. 

Steve showed the motorcycle he was eyeing with great pride to Bucky and pointed out the sidecar to him. Bucky scoffed and straddled the seat behind Steve. “Sam can take the sidecar,” he said, trying to hold back a smug grin. At hearing his name, Sam wandered over to see what was going on. Steve remembered his conversation with Sam earlier and was about to tell Sam that he could choose a different car if he wanted, but Sam just smiled and squatted down in the sidecar. 

Thor and Loki did indeed have a flying broom to share between the two of them. Steve headed out of the cold, cavernous garage and into the too bright, bustling city. He had to head to the Yellow Brick Road. Steve had no idea where or what that was; he assumed it was a road but in the Garden, nothing was that simple. He drove on the main road for a while, hoping to find a sign of some sort. Bucky almost made him crash into the carriage in front of him when he excitedly screamed in Steve’s ear that he’d found the Yellow Brick Road. 

While technically, yes, it was a road. It was not just any road. It was the main highway that connected all other roads in the Garden. It was packed with vehicles going every which way and criss-crossed with other roads going over and under it. Steve was a decent driver, but this honestly scared him. Steve caressed the rock in his pocket and recited a small prayer for protection before heading onto the deadly highway. 

Once he got on, he felt himself immediately lose control of the bike. His heart stopped and his body started to cold sweat. He felt Bucky’s arms tighten around his waist. Was this it? Was this his death scene? 

No, it couldn’t be. He dreamt of Bucky drowning. Not falling off of a bike. He was just overreacting. He had to get out of his own head and calm down. 

The bike lurched forward in a smooth pace shocking Steve. He wasn’t touching the gas? His hands instinctively let go of the handlebars and he looked down trying to find the culprit of this strange occurrence. The road, which was filled with yellow brick-like patterns, was moving? Like a conveyor belt, it secured the wheels of his motorcycle and pushed the entire bike forward without Steve having to do anything. So this was how people avoided crashing into one another…. 

Steve wasn’t quite sure where he needed to go. There were no helpful signs saying “Forest 4 miles ahead.” The more he travelled along the highway the more abnormal it became. The regular golden road suddenly branched out into ice bridges, rainbow bridges or literal rivers of lava. Steve could only assume the path was taking him deeper and deeper into the Garden. 

After about an hour of traveling, the road became narrower and narrower until the bike could no longer pass. The highway was no longer bustling but instead took on the appearance of an old abandoned road with desolate buildings on the sides. Steve, Bucky and Sam got off and agreed to walk the rest of the way, Thor and Loki got off their broom and walked as well so it would be fair. Loki complained vehemently but Thor ignored him— or maybe he just didn’t notice. Sam suggested he fly ahead and try to figure out where they were. Steve was quick to tell him he didn’t need to do that but Sam went anyway. 

He shifted back into the red bird that hard tormented them in the elevator and flew on ahead. He returned moments later and shifted back. “The forest starts about a few blocks that way,” he pointed to the left of a ruined building. “I’m pretty sure that’s where we need to go.” 

“Let’s go then!” Bucky said and led the group towards the forest. The sudden increase in temperature and loud roars coming from the distance as they entered the forest led Steve to believe that they were now in Dragon Country. Steve hoped to find the princess before a dragon found him. 

And lo and behold, just when he wished for it, there in the distance appeared an incredibly tall tower whose spire pierced the sky through the trees. Steve ran joyously towards the building but found he couldn’t move. He tried again but still found his feet stuck. He looked down and saw his feet had now disappeared below the ground. He yelled over his shoulder. 

“It’s quicksand! Don’t come any closer!” Bucky and the others had luckily been a few paces behind him so they were on solid ground. That didn’t help the situation though as Steve sunk lower and lower into the sand. 

“Don’t struggle!” Bucky called out. “Struggling only makes you sink deeper.” Steve tried his best to relax himself but found he was sinking even quicker now, the sand up to his chest. He panicked and looked at Bucky pleadingly. The man was no help; standing frozen and looking incredibly alarmed at his quickly disappearing friend. Sam looked confused by the sudden turn of events. “Can you help him!” Bucky yelled to Thor and Loki. Thor seemed concerned while Loki was trying not to laugh. 

“Maybe he should try relaxing more, make it painless,” Loki quipped. Bucky looked like he wanted to hit him but he had other more pressing matters to attend to. He picked up a rock from the path and threw it next to Steve, trying to find solid land. The rock didn’t sink so he looked around for a stick to try and pull his friend up. He found a large dry one and leapt to where he had thrown the rock. Sam shifted into a bird and hovered over Steve’s head. He must’ve thought that he could just fly over and save Steve. Steve, nonetheless, grabbed onto Sam’s talons and tried to pull himself up without pulling Sam down. Needless to say it didn’t work. 

He was just a head and outstretched arms at this point. Bucky held out a stick to him and Steve grabbed on, pulling himself up but not without pulling Bucky down and into the sand. His eyes had been filled with sand and he was so desperate to reach solid land he didn’t realize his mistake until he turned around and saw his friend was only a grasping hand. Steve’s mind went blank as the haunting image of the hand pleading for help gave him an overwhelming sense of deja-vu. 

While he’d been useless in his dream, Steve refused to be useless now. Without thinking he stretched out his own hand to pull Bucky up, but the sand was heavier and kept dragging him down. He could feel that his strength wasn’t enough. He could feel Bucky slipping from his grasp. 

“HELP ME!” Steve yelled. He just had to hold on, that was all he had to do. Loki begrudgingly went to help him as Thor himself couldn’t interfere, but Loki could in order to save a “side character.” The two managed to pull Bucky up, until he was sobbing into Steve’s arms, choking out sand and pleading for more air. The sand seemed almost alive in how vengeful it reacted. The pit spit sand out at the troupe leaving them all temporarily blinded and uncomfortable in unmentionable places. 

Steve could handle a sand pit with an attitude if it meant that Bucky was safe in his arms. “Is everyone okay?” he asked after coughing up some sand. Steve looked around. Sam, as he flew above the sand, was hit the most and was picking the sand out of his feathers. Thor was brushing off his papers and Bucky was still clinging to Steve’s side. Steve looked around and was starting to become nervous. 

Loki was missing. 

Steve turned just in time to see Thor come to the same realization. “Brother,” he heard the man weakly call out. Steve couldn’t look away as Thor continued to call out with increased desperation. Thor moved towards the quick sand as if he was prepared to jump in and Steve immediately grabbed his arm. His once bright and optimistic eyes fell dull as he had to accept what just happened. 

“Well… I’ll just add this to the list…” he said blankly as he wrote something on his clipboard. No one knew what to say. Steve was the first to respond. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

“We didn’t mean for this to happen,” Bucky followed. 

“It’s fine…someone had to die anyway. It was nothing personal, just a requirement… Go, onward then.” Thor’s words didn’t make any sense to the rest of the group but they continued on, this time paying closer attention to where they stepped. Thor no longer looked as imposing as he once was. His shoulders slouched, his steps were slower as if hesitating with each movement. 

Steve was too busy worrying over Thor that he didn’t notice two certain group members staring at him. He continued onward while still keeping an eye on Thor. He should probably invite the guy to travel in the front with him so he wouldn’t feel so alone—

“What happened to you?!” Bucky shouted suddenly. Steve looked over concerned and found Bucky looking back at him. He looked down at himself to see what was wrong. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

He was glowing! 

He had never glowed before? He didn’t know anyone who did glow? What could this possibly mean? 

Bucky, Steve and Sam were now starting to panic while Thor sank deeper into his depression. Steve tried wiping his arms to see if this stuff would come off to no avail. He was stuck with this bright halo encapsulating him. 

“Do you feel any different?” Sam asked. Steve shook his head. He felt just as he did before. Healthy, albeit very anxious. Sam gave him a rough examination. There were no visible causes for why he would be like this. There were no cuts or bruises. Bucky pointed out that it might have been from the sand pit but then quickly realized that if that were the case he too would be glowing. No one could think of anything that only Steve had done in the past hour that could have caused this. Sam concluded that since Steve seemed to feel fine, and the glowing wasn’t doing any harm that they should keep going and maybe it would go away on its own. Bucky joked that Steve’s new talent might trick the dragon into not killing him as everyone knew dragon’s loved shiny things. 

While Bucky managed to lighten the mood with Steve and Sam, Thor remained behind them not saying a word. The tower that had seemed so close before, suddenly felt a lot further away. Steve reread his instruction card. He was in the forest, so now he had to follow a map. But he didn’t have a map! Thor had said “It’ll show up when you need it,” well he supposed he needed it now. While he could see the tower, he still needed to get this illusive weapon. 

He turned the card over and was amazed to see a map was appearing right before his eyes. Steve flipped it over once more to double check that this was actually happening. The lines still showed up, directing him which way to go. Could the card always do this? “Guys wait.” He called out to the group. Everyone stopped and looked at him expectantly, however he did not respond. 

He kept studying his map trying to figure out where they were and where they needed to be. There was a giant red x on a gray circle, Steve assumed that was the tower where the princess was being held captive. He could see the tower from where he was and could tell that it was northeast of his position. However there was a circle around a different gray splotch on the map. He wasn’t sure what it was but it was in the opposite direction of the tower. There was a stream west of him and Steve took note of it for a good place to camp. The sand pit Loki had fallen victim to was also on the map. Steve felt guilt, then anger at this mystical map. Had he known of its existence before they could have avoided the quicksand altogether. 

He still did not know where his troupe of merrymen lay on the map and tried to figure it out mentally. They had gone through the sand pit and since the tower was northwest—. Steve stopped. He saw a flash of something on the map. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he was sure he saw something. He kept staring at the map daring the object to show up again. A moment later a red dot moved around on the map. Steve perked up but the dot disappeared again. A green dot appeared in the same place and moved around. This one didn’t disappear as quickly and continued to move. Steve cautiously looked around the forest trying to find signs of something moving. He alternated from studying the dot to studying his surroundings before the dot disappeared once again. 

“Steve, can we go now?” Bucky whined. Steve sighed in defeat and nodded his head. 

“Let’s just head that way,” Steve pointed in the direction of the tower. He peaked at his map once again and suddenly four dots were moving. Steve yelled for everyone to stop and the dots all disappeared. “Aha!” Steve yelled in elation. The dots were them! Steve told the group to keep moving and sure enough the dots came back and were moving in the direction of the tower. Steve felt giddy, what a useful little tool. 

The group kept moving forward as Steve watched the dots get closer and closer to the tower on the map. Suddenly the dots disappeared again and Steve looked up in surprise. “Why did we stop?” He asked. Immediately his question was answered for him. Up ahead was a wooden sign that read “DO NOT ENTER” in bold red letters. 

Steve was confused. They had to get passed, that’s how they’d get to the tower. The sign must be referring to the tower itself then. Steve ordered for the group to keep moving forward. Another sign materialized out of thin air. This one was a road sign that read “Detour” and pointed for them to go left. Steve once again ignored it, as some sort of fae trick, and kept moving towards the tower. This time a brick wall appeared to block their path. Steve frowned in annoyance. 

“Maybe we can scale it or something—” 

“Are you kidding me?” An incredulous voice asked. “I put all these warning signs, clearly labelled “Do Not Enter” and you still wanna enter?” A man corporealized. He was average height with gelled up brown hair and an out of fashion goatee. The man was also wearing an expensive suit that while fashionable in Gea was out of place in the Garden. “You trying to mess this up for me, Rogers?” The man pointed an accusatory finger at Steve. 

Before Steve could react Bucky had moved to stand between the two men with a knife aimed at the new man’s throat. Sam perched to the side in his falcon form ready to fight as well. The new arrival raised his hands in surrender and backed away slowly. Steve’s brain was not functioning at this time so the only thing he said was “You’re telling me you had a knife this entire time?!” 

“Did you expect me to come on a Quest empty-handed?” Bucky replied while still threatening the strange man. 

“They said you couldn’t have weapons?” Steve looked to Thor who was looking at his clipboard wildly scribbling stuff down. 

“No, they said I could only have the weapons already on me.” 

“Why do you casually have a knife?!” Steve asked. Bucky grew annoyed and turned around to face Steve properly. 

“Because I’m the crown prince of Atlyn. Aren’t you my bodyguard, why don’t  _ you _ have a knife?” Steve had no response for that. Why didn’t he have a knife? Was he really this inadequate as a guard?

“Okay, okay, you two, stop squabbling.” The man interrupted. “It seems tensions are high, so why don’t we all just cool down and talk this out. I’ll start. Hi, I’m Tony Stark, I’m the director of this Quest— and  _ you,  _ sir, are gonna mess it up if you keep going down this path.” Tony pointed at Steve. 

“I’m just doing what I’m told. I was told to save the princess in the tower.” Steve pointed at the tower in the skyline. 

“Yes, but you were also told to get a weapon—”

“Yes, but I have no idea where to find this weapon, and I’m not gonna waste time running around a forest—”

“Well did you read the map?”

“Yes, and there’s nothing about a weapon—”

“Ah,” Tony interrupted him with a raise of his hand. Steve had pulled out the card to show Tony there was nothing about a weapon on the map. Tony scanned it and pointed at the previously unidentified gray blob with the circle around it. “There, is your weapon.” Tony was looking incredibly smug and Steve was feeling incredibly embarrassed. Steve held back on punching Tony and grumbled to himself as he put the card back in his jacket. 

“Fine,” Steve bit out. “Let’s go this way guys.” He bitterly led his group to the left in the direction of the gray blob. Sam had remained in his bird form and was flying around Steve’s head. Bucky was behind him animatedly talking with Tony. If Steve slowed his steps so he could casually listen to what they were saying it was nobody’s business but his own. And Sam’s. Who just happened to notice Steve’s slower pace. 

“Were you really gonna stab me back there Jimbo?” Tony asked quietly. Bucky rolled his eyes and shoved Tony’s shoulder. 

“Of course I wasn’t gonna stab you, idiot. I was just gonna scare you off a bit. You can’t just go around accusing people.” Although Bucky’s words were chastising his tone was a fond one Steve himself was familiar with. He had also been on the other end of these words before. 

“Aww you do care, trying to protect me from your big guard dog,” Steve assumed they were talking about him. “I knew you had feelings for me.” Steve almost stopped in his steps but then he would be found out. He moved further away; he no longer wished to hear this conversation. 

“So what are we looking for?” Steve called out behind him. He wanted to get Tony’s attention back on the quest rather than on Bucky. 

“Oh, you’ll know it when you see it.” Tony replied. His vague answer irked Steve. Couldn’t he tell how serious this was? Would a little more description really ruin the “magic of the Quest.” Steve grumbled to himself and focused his attention on the map. They were getting closer to the gray blob and the stream. The sun was starting to set. Steve kept his eyes peeled for a nice clearing near the stream to camp in. 

Sam landed next to Steve and shifted back into his human form. Steve felt uncomfortable under his sympathetic gaze. “What?” He asked. 

“Nothing, nothing…” Sam replied. “You finally stopped glowing,” he pointed out after a minute of awkward silence. Steve looked down at himself and noticed that yes, the shimmery halo really was gone. It was probably best to forget the matter then. 

Bucky’s sudden laughter made Steve turn around and suddenly freeze. “Okay gang!” He said louder than necessary. The volume made Tony remove his arm from Bucky’s shoulders and back away a few steps. “I think this is a good place to set up camp, why don’t some of us continue forward and the rest stay here and set up?” Steve suggested. “How about, me, Sam and Bucky go ahead and Thor and Tony can stay here. Sound like a plan?” Sam sighed quietly and Bucky raised an eyebrow but neither of them said anything. 

Thor moved to start setting up the camp while Tony waved the trio off. “If you guys need anything just yell, I’ll be watching you with this.” He raised up a tablet that showed multiple camera angles of the trio. Steve looked around to try and find Tony’s cameras but he couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. 

The three then headed off into the forest. According to the map they were getting closer to the weapon and according to Tony they wouldn’t miss it. And he was right. There was absolutely no way for them to miss the huge boulder sitting conspicuously in the middle of the forest with a giant handle sticking out. 

“I guess you gotta pull it out?” Bucky said. Steve nodded and approached the boulder. He looked around, trying to sense if any beast would suddenly attack him yet he felt nothing. Once he found his footing atop the boulder he was able to get a good look at the weapon. It seemed that the weapon was an old hammer with runes inscribed along the handle to ward off evil. Steve bent down and noticed a small inscription on the hammer itself. 

_ Whoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor _

Wait, like the Thor they knew? Would Steve really get his powers?  _ What if I’m not worthy?  _ Steve felt the cold sweat rush through his body but he ignored it. There was nothing he could do except try and see. Steve took a deep breath and situated his feet comfortably on the rock. With both hands he bent down and prepared to use all his force to pull out the hammer. His hands circled around the leather-bound handle and gripped it tightly. He pulled with all his might and went flying backwards off the rock. 

Sam quickly sprung into action and caught him before he crash landed on the ground. “Thanks man.” Steve said as Sam helped him stand up. Bucky came over and tilted his head in confusion. 

“Is this it?” He asked. Steve looked down and indeed the hammer was in his hand. He had pulled it out and it had surprisingly weighed nothing. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who expected there to be some sort of trap. But it really seemed like this was it. 

“I guess so?” Steve responded. The three headed back to camp with Steve swinging his new hammer around aimlessly. He didn’t feel any more powerful. Maybe this was just a prop and not the actual hammer of Thor. 

“Oh wow,” Bucky said as they arrived back at camp. “You really went all out, didn’t you Tony?” The three looked around in awe. Tony had set up a lavish camper and already had something cooking over the fire that just smelled heavenly. 

“Oh no,  _ this _ is all mine. Your tents are over there.” He issued to the other side of the clearing where Thor was poking a fish with a stick near a weak campfire. Steve sighed inwardly and dragged his feet over to the tents that Thor had so kindly put up for them. There were only two tents but they seemed big enough to share. Steve dropped the hammer right next to Thor who looked at it fondly but didn’t touch. “By the way, Sir Rogers,” Tony called out. 

Steve tried not to roll his eyes and headed over to where he was. “What?” He asked. 

“I forgot to give this to you.” Without looking Tony handed over a small box to Steve. Steve opened it and threw it into the stream. 


	5. Chapter Four

“What the hell was that for!” Tony yelled as he frantically searched the stream for the box. 

“I don’t know! I panicked, I’m sorry!” Steve was pacing above Tony, just as frazzled. He genuinely felt guilty for his knee-jerk reaction. He didn’t mean to make Tony so upset, but the contents of the box scared him so much. 

“What’s going on over here? Did you guys manage to lose all the fish Thor caught us?” Bucky strolled over and peered into the stream. 

“It’s nothing, Buck, I just dropped something. Tony is helping me look for it.” Steve answered. 

Bucky squatted down near the stream and started looking as well. Steve hoped Bucky wouldn’t find it. He felt embarrassed just thinking about facing Bucky after this. 

“Is it a small black box?” Bucky asked. Tony looked up excitedly while Steve looked on with dread. Bucky thoughtfully studied the wet leather box before handing it over to Steve. “Ya know it almost looks like a…” Bucky’s grin faded. His eyes met Steves with urgency as he realized the situation. He pulled back his hand with the box and opened it without warning. There, nestled snugly between two pillows of velvet, was a diamond engagement ring. 

Steve didn’t know what to say. The air suddenly grew heavy around them. Bucky snapped the box shut with a resounding clap and handed it to Steve. Bucky then got up and walked away, all the while refusing to make eye contact with Steve or Tony. “I’m going to bed.” Bucky called out as he walked away. 

Steve moved to follow him. Tony held onto Steve’s wrist, stopping him from going anywhere. He wordlessly led Steve to the campfire where Thor and Sam were jovially taking care of dinner. Thor seemed to be in a better mood and even smiled at Steve as he sat down. 

Everyone noticed Bucky’s absence, and the consequential awkward tension but no one commented on it. Sam handed Steve a plate with grilled fish and beans. Tony refused his as he had his own food in his camper. Apparently being the director of the quest meant he didn’t have to struggle with the rest of them. 

Steve’s mind filled with Bucky as he poked aimlessly at his fish. Why did Bucky react like that when he found the ring? Was he jealous that Steve was getting married first? Bucky had always been a romantic at heart but Steve had never heard him mention anything about actually marrying someone. Maybe he was just shocked by the sudden news. 

_ Or maybe he was scared of losing you _ , the voice in Steve’s head interjected.  _ As a friend _ , Steve added.  _ More than a friend _ , the voice called back. Steve tried his best not to think that way, it would only lead to him getting his hopes up. And as dictated by the laws of physics, what goes up must come down. Steve knew he couldn’t handle being heartbroken right now. He needed to focus on this quest. 

Steve snapped open the ring box and took out the diamond to examine it. He tried to imagine how he would present this ring to Princess Carter and what he would say when the time came. He tried to imagine having a life with this woman he had never even seen. He grew frustrated by his own mind’s lack of enthusiasm and shut the ring back in the box. 

“So Thor,” Sam spoke. “Is that really your hammer?” He gestured to Mjolnir where it was still lying next to Thor. Thor nodded and continued eating his fish as if he thoroughly enjoyed it. 

“It’s why I’m the Quest-worker, I have to keep an eye on my possessions.” He answered. Sam nodded in understanding but kept pushing for more information. 

“So then, why could Steve lift it? Is he really worthy, or something?” Steve now became interested in the conversation as well. The hammer promised to give him the powers of Thor yet he felt no different when he pulled it out. 

Thor placed his plate on the ground and leaned back on his elbows. He nodded his head towards Mjolnir and with a challenging smirk he told Sam to try it out for himself. Sam of course, would not back down from such an obvious challenge and took off his coat. He prepared like Steve had, intending to lift something incredibly heavy. Yet when Sam gripped the handle and pulled the hammer didn’t even budge. Sam laughed breathily and kept trying to pull it up. 

Eventually he became winded and had to let it go. “Nah, you must’ve filled it with sand or something since we got back.” Sam accused but Thor just smiled smugly at Sam’s bruised ego. Tony then decided he would try it out after studying the weapon for a moment. 

“It’s all about physics, boys,” he said before he too failed at lifting the hammer. He struggled for a while and even discussed setting up a pulley system with the tree branches to carry the weight of the hammer in order to lift it. Thor laughed at his idea as if he knew that no machine would ever work to lift it. 

“Mjolnir is a mystical weapon, she’s not bound by your laws.” Thor boasted. 

Steve mindlessly got up and decided to try it out as well. He expected to pull it up easily like last time however just like with Sam and Tony the hammer didn’t budge. Steve tried again, this time exerting more force. Steve kept pulling and pulling; he was desperate to lift the hammer. 

“Steve I think that’s enough,” Sam said. 

“Yeah, bud, I think you should take a break.” Tony added. 

The sweat was rolling down his face in waves. His hands were burning and bleeding from the decorated handle. Steve could feel his lungs taking in less and less air as he kept trying to lift the hammer. He knew he could do it; he just needed a little more strength. 

He felt a wave of power surge through him and he redirected said power towards the hammer. Steve screamed one last valiant yell before toppling to the ground with nothing but bloody hands and sore arms to show for his effort. 

“Woah, Steve—” 

“What?” Steve replied harshly. Sam’s hand went up in surrender. His voice was calm and slow like he was trying to approach a wild animal. 

“You’re glowing again.” He said. 

“What?” Steve was confused and a little exhausted. He looked down at his arms and sure enough the halo had surrounded him again. 

“God-fucking-dammit!” He groaned in frustration. While Sam and Thor offered nothing more than comfort and pity Tony began to study Steve. He sat thigh-to-thigh with Steve and leaned over to inspect his arm closely. Wordlessly Tony then moved to Steve’s face. Steve instantly recoiled under his intense gaze and a blush started to envelope his body. “Uh Tony, what are you—”

“Shh!” Tony grabbed Steve’s chin and turned his head from side to side. “You don’t feel any pain right?” He asked. Steve was hesitant as to whether he was allowed to answer or not. 

“Um, yea, no pain— I mean like it tingles but it’s not really painful.” 

“Hmm.” Tony let go of Steve’s face and backed away. “It’s magic,” Tony concluded.

“Huh?” The other three said at once. 

“The glowy thing, that’s magic. Steve must be imbued with magical energy and so it will occasionally release itself in the form of this glow. Typically after times of intense physical exertion” Tony gestured to Steve’s everything. Steve had no idea what Tony was talking about. Thor proudly clapped Steve on the back. 

“You should’ve mentioned before that you were a magical being, Steven. I will have to add this to the report.” Thor pulled out his clipboard and started taking notes again. 

“What? No, I’m not magical, I’m a human!” Steve was starting to panic. He had no idea what was going on with his body. No one was making any sense. They kept looking at Steve like he knew what was going on. 

Sam had taken a hold of Steve’s wrist and started studying the glow as well. “I’m sorry, dude, Tony is right. You might be human but there’s definitely magic in you.” 

“So…what does this mean?” Steve looked pleadingly at the men around him. He felt scared and vulnerable. Like he just found out his beloved pet had been euthanized and not sent to live off on a farm. Tony and Sam had been looking at Steve with pity and it did nothing to ease his anxiety. Thor placed his hand on Steve’s knee. 

“By law, all magical creatures have to register as citizens of the Garden, so…” 

“Oh god— So I can’t live in my home anymore? I can’t be a Knight? Do I have to—?” Steve started rambling. 

“Calm down, man,” Sam sat on the other side of Steve and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just deal with one problem at a time. We have a Quest to complete and a God to save, we can worry—”

“What do you mean? A God to save?” Steve asked. 

“Oh! My bad, it was meant to be a surprise. But I was talking with Tony during dinner and he mentioned that since Loki is an Avatar and a Fairy Godparent his death does not need to remain permanent. So once we finish with the main Quest we can go after Loki in the Underworld!” Sam grinned. His enthusiasm was infectious and Steve found himself feeling a little bit better about everything. 

“That’s amazing!” Steve said. Thor dropped his clipboard with the sudden news. His smile stretched across his entire face and didn’t seem to be fading anytime soon. Steve guessed that if Thor could have his way they would all head off to finish the Quest right this second. Steve’s initial guilt about Loki’s death was alleviated with the news that he wasn’t actually gone. He wondered if he or Bucky would have also been able to be saved if they had fallen into the pit. 

“First things first, your boy is off pouting in the woods.” Sam said and nodded towards the trees in front of them. Bucky was sitting in the middle of the tree with the branches cradling him, safely keeping him above ground. Steve sighed and mentally prepped himself for the excursion. He wrapped his legs around the trunk, using his thighs to anchor himself as he pulled himself up the tree. Bucky watched him amusedly as he climbed. 

“Your tree climbing has gotten better.”

Steve let out a bitter laugh. “You always choose such tall trees to hide in.” A few more hoists and Steve planted himself on one of the branches. He steadied himself by placing his feet and arms on opposing branches. He was slightly above Bucky and looked down at him with a cheeky grin. “Hey,” he said. 

“Hey,” Bucky smiled back but it quickly faded into a more melancholic expression. He fiddled with his hands for a moment before speaking. “You’re glowing again.” 

“I know.”

“Well you seem a lot calmer than last time. Did something happen?” Bucky sat up but still looked disinterested. 

“Turns out I might be magical.” Steve answered casually. Bucky stopped fiddling with his hand. 

“Oh,” Bucky’s expression quickly turned their conversation into an interrogation. “Is this a recent development, ‘cause I would hate to think you’ve been keeping a secret from me all these years.” Though Bucky spoke lightly there was a slight bitter edge to his words that made Steve feel guilty. He had been keeping secrets from Buck, but this was not one of them. 

“It’s recent, unless you’ve seen me glow before and just never told me.” Steve laughed trying to ease the tension. 

“Hmmm,” Bucky’s eyes softened as he pretended to think about his question. “Well you do kinda have a glow to you after heavy training—”

“Oh.” 

“No no no, I’m sure it was just a sweaty glow, not a magical glow!” 

“Hm.” The two of them fell silent. If what Tony had said was true, that the magic only releases during times of physical exertion, then it wouldn’t be unimaginable that Bucky had seen the glow before after Steve’s training. Steve felt his head spin as he thought back to all these years he had this power without his own knowledge. 

“So what does this mean?” Bucky asked. His hesitant voice immediately calmed Steve down and eased his anxiety. 

“I don’t know, Thor says I’ll have to be reported to the Garden.” Steve watched Bucky to see what his reaction to the news would be. It took a moment for Bucky to process what Steve was saying. 

“Oh, so you won’t be coming home?” 

“Yeah…” 

Steve looked down to the ground so he didn’t notice Bucky looking at him with heartbroken eyes. He didn’t notice that Bucky had started crying until he heard the soft sobs coming from his friend. His head shot up immediately and he almost lost his footing on the branch as he instinctively reached out for Bucky. 

“Whoa— hey, it’s okay.” He tried to calm him down as best as he could from a distance. Bucky’s sniffles stopped as he calmed down. He wiped away his tears and refused to meet Steve’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just— I’m gonna miss you so much.” He spoke quietly. 

Steve had a bittersweet smile. He was also going to miss Bucky and the realization of that almost made him cry as well. “You can still visit me as much as you want. I’ll even plan a stupid ball just so you can see me.” He said to lighten the mood. They both knew he would never be able to afford to throw a ball. But for Bucky, Steve might just find a way. Bucky laughed breathily. 

“You’re too sweet.” The two sat in comfortable silence for a while. Steve fought with himself for the courage to say what was on his mind. 

“So…can we talk about what happened?”

“What happened?” Bucky asked, genuinely confused. 

“You storming off! What’s wrong, talk to me.” Steve pushed. 

“It’s nothing, I was just worried…” Bucky waved his hand to dismiss the topic, but Steve wouldn’t let it go. 

“‘Bout what? Look I get it if you’re jealous of me for being the first to marry a Princess but—”

“I’m gay.” Bucky glared at Steve, as if daring him to say anything about it. Steve became red and flustered under the intimidating gaze. 

“Oh, well, Prince then— but this doesn’t mean you won’t find someone—”

“Stevie, I’m not jealous.” Bucky rolled his eyes. “I’m just nervous about not having you all to myself. That’s it, I’ve calmed down, it’s all good now. Let’s just talk about something else, this’ll be our last night with just us.” Steve could see how much his line of questioning bothered Bucky so he accepted his excuse and silently agreed to move on. 

“We’re camping with three other dudes, I don’t think that counts as ‘just us.’” He joked. The tension in the air dissipated and the two got on reminiscing about the past and their shared childhood. Eventually neither of them could keep up the conversation with all the yawning they were doing. 

“We should probably head off to bed, we have a pretty big day tomorrow.” Steve suggested as he climbed down the tree. Bucky scoffed. 

“ _ You _ have a pretty big day, I’m just here to fight a dragon, you’re getting married.” He joked. Bucky then jumped down from the tree like a panther. Steve muttered ‘show off’ as he slowly climbed down. 

“My tent’s this way.” He said when he noticed Bucky starting to go in the other direction. 

“Oh, actually Tony offered to share the camper with me so I’m bunking with him. At least this way I won’t keep you up all night with my kicking.” 

“Yeah I guess…” The two of them were used to sharing a bed, it was weird that now when the situation allowed for it they would be sleeping apart. 

“Night, Stevie.” Bucky said with a smile and a wave. 

“Night, Buck.” Steve responded with less enthusiasm. 

“Hey.” Sam came up from behind Steve. He looked between Steve and Bucky’s retreating figure. 

“Oh, hey…. Getting ready to go to bed?” Steve replied. His thoughts were still on Bucky, however. 

“Yeah, I was gonna share with Thor but he’s a bit clingy. So I’m gonna switch into my bird form and chill in this tree.” Sam said. Steve eventually stopped staring at Bucky and turned to give Sam his full attention. 

“You can share my tent if you want, I thought I would be with Bucky but I guess him and Tony worked something out.” 

“Makes sense. But no need, the tree is—”

“Why does it make sense?”

  
“Huh?”

“You said it makes sense for them to share the camper, why?” Was there something he didn’t know?

“Oh it’s just, they’re good friends so—”

“But we’re also good friends?” Steve could see Sam struggling not to say something. He knew it! Something was going on! Eventually his intense stare broke Sam down. The shapeshifter sighed defeatedly before explaining. 

“Yeah but…look man, I really don’t want to get in the middle of whatever relationship issues you two are having. I just know that Tony and Bucky are pretty close. Whenever I go to Balls I always see them together. It’s probably best to just forget I said anything and go to sleep.” Sam patted him on the shoulder and shifted into his bird form and flew up into the tree Steve and Bucky were just in. 

Steve’s thoughts were out of control as he mindlessly made his way to his tent. Bucky and Tony knew each other, that explained why they immediately started conversing when Tony first showed up. But they were close enough to share a bed? Tony did say that Bucky loved him, but Steve immediately denied that as playful banter. But Bucky did say he was gay so maybe he and Tony did have a thing. Maybe that’s why Bucky was upset about the ring. He and Tony must have been together for a while and Bucky was waiting for Tony to propose. That made sense? That’s a sensible reason. Even though Bucky had never mentioned anything about a relationship to Steve…

Steve could not fall asleep. He kept thinking about Bucky and Tony and what they were doing in the camper. He closed his eyes trying to force himself to think of other things. But every other topic kept him up as well. He might die tomorrow. He might get engaged tomorrow. He might get imprisoned tomorrow. There was no way around it tomorrow he was receiving some sort of life sentence and he wasn’t ready. He felt like screaming or running away. 

A rustling from the outside of his tent halted his plans. Steve had no energy to deal with whatever it was so he kept his eyes closed and tried to sleep. He heard the flap of his tent open and someone crawl inside. Steve sighed inwardly, he would have to acknowledge whoever it was. He was about to turn over when a pair of arms encircling his waist stopped him. A body laid pressed up against his own but did nothing else aside from hold him. Steve’s heart stopped as the stranger’s mouth whispered against his neck. 

“I’m gonna miss you, buddy.”

It was Bucky. Steve felt like crying even more now. He would no longer be able to be held like this by Bucky after tomorrow. He kept quiet, Bucky stayed silent as well. They both soon fell asleep with Bucky’s arms wrapped around Steve, shielding him from his own thoughts. 

When Steve woke up in the morning to Sam’s bird call, he found himself alone. Steve’s heart sank in disappointment but he got up anyway. Maybe it had all been a dream courtesy of his sleep-deprived mind. Thor had already started making breakfast, which was more beans and some bread. Sam shifted back into his human form and waved at Steve. 

Steve was going to wave back but movement from Tony’s camper drew his attention there. Bucky walked out with his hair in a mess and a deadly glare aimed at Sam. Sam had a satisfied look on his face and moved to the campfire. Steve could see how exhausted Bucky looked. When he waved in greeting Bucky blushed and looked away embarrassed. By the red on his cheeks Steve knew that last night was not a dream. Tony followed behind him and the two sat down around the campfire. Steve felt smug. Bucky may have been in Tony’s camper but he slept with Steve for at least most of the night. 

“I guess things are gonna change huh?” Steve said as he sat down. 

“Nah,” Bucky nudged Steve’s knee lightheartedly. “You’re stuck with me, pal. Princess Carter isn’t gonna change that.” Steve felt lighter at his friend’s assurance. They would find a way to be together. He didn’t know what he would do if he lost Bucky. It’d be like losing a part of himself; just existing with a hole where his own spirit used to be. 

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Steve asked. Tony rolled his eyes and Sam snorted like he had told a really funny joke. 

“That’s ridiculous! You’re such an amazing guy. A real chivalrous Knight. Any lady would be lucky to have you!” Bucky said. Steve blushed but still felt uncertain. Bucky always told him how amazing he was, yet this was the first Invitation he’d ever gotten. If he was really such a catch, wouldn’t he have been Invited to Balls every month? He really didn’t want to get married to some woman he didn’t know but if he ran away now the punishment would surely be severe. 

The party soon finished up their meal; discussing mundane things like the weather, upcoming meetings, construction plans and things of that nature. There was no reason to delay and so they all packed up their tents which Tony stored away in his mobile pocket storage unit. Steve was enthralled with the way it shrank back into the size of a keychain. They headed off following Steve’s map. Steve picked up Mjolnir and led the way. Thor explained that since Mjolnir belonged to him, he could give explicit permission as to who could and couldn’t pick it up. 

After hours of uneventful trekking through the forest Steve and his party were faced with a large tower that rested on the other side of a river of lava. Because that’s where towers should be built. In the middle of Dragon-territory and next to pools of lava. He knew the Dragon he must fight lived inside, along with the princess he had to save. He and his troupe managed to cross the rickety old bridge without anyone slipping off or any boards coming loose. Tony had assured them that it was just rickety for tension’s sake, and that it was in fact a perfectly sound bridge. They reached the entryway to the castle and words appeared along the top. 

**_Abandon all hope ye who enter here_ **

Tony gestured for Steve to enter first. He stepped forward but a forcefield knocked him back to the edge of the lava pit. The writing on top of the door changed. 

**_You must now go through the ultimate test!_ **

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows and became intensely annoyed with this peculiar and violent Quest. “What’s the Ultimate Test?” He yelled. The writing changed again. 

**_You must each reveal your darkest secret to pass._ **

Bucky stood gaping, looking unfocused at the spot in front of him. Steve smiled at him encouragingly as he got up and approached the entrance again. He should be the first to enter since this was his Quest. He knew what secret he had to share, it was either that or reveal his love for Bucky. But would his companions think less of him for it? He was practically giving them a reason to send him to jail on a silver platter. Thor was a government worker, and Tony could be harbouring resentment towards high society for refusing his family’s entry. Sam was probably the only one who would be on his side. But he had to tell the truth to get through. His blood ran colder with each step forward he took. His only options were to fail when he was so close, or risk the possibility of being arrested. The High King was not known for lenient punishments. He reached the door and glanced behind him.

“You got this buddy!” Tony called out. Bucky gave him a thumbs up but Steve could see how worried he was. He faced the door and took a deep breath in, the coldness briefly going away. 

“I’m part of the underground anti-government resistance group S.H.I.E.L.D.” 

No one spoke. He kept his gaze focused on the door; he couldn’t bear to see what they thought of him. The letters on top glowed and disappeared; he could go in. He felt more stressed now than he did before he had to actually say his truth out loud. He didn’t know what the future held for him anymore, but he had a Quest to finish. 

As he made it past the large wooden doors— wood, really? Dragons live here!— he drew out Mjolnir, prepared to fight once the beast showed itself. He crept up the crumbling stairs and through empty archways, listening intently for some sign of the monster. A shout from above him sent him running up the stairs to the fourth level. He looked into all the rooms for a source of the shout. Each room was as desolate than the last. 

Steve thought that since the Carter’s were so rich that they would want their daughter in a nice cushy tower, guess they’d opted for the genuine princess treatment. That definitely wouldn’t have lasting ramifications on their daughter. With each empty room Steve passed, he lost more and more hope; maybe the dragon had had enough and eaten the poor princess.

But no, from the last room at the end of the hall he heard a great shout of laughter. Therein lay the beast. He was laughing at the piece of parchment he held in his talons. He wasn’t half as big as Steve was expecting, he stood almost as tall as Steve himself. He was more of a giant lizard than a great beast. But Steve of all people knew to never underestimate something based on its size. He had rust-red scales and long dull nails curling up in strange directions. His snake tongue would flick out as he read. Steve poised himself for battle; the dragon glanced at him once before returning to his funny parchment. 

“Have a seat Sir Steven.” The dragon spoke without moving his mouth, his voice deep and rough like he had a sore throat. Steve sat; it was more chivalrous to listen to a beast than attack a peaceful adversary. “I’m just reading your friends’ secrets. I could share them with you if you like?” Steve shook his head no. It felt wrong, these people were meant to support and protect him, he couldn’t break their trust. 

“Are you going to reveal my secret?” Steve asked. There was a brief pause as the dragon studied him. 

“No, Sir Steven, I won’t. I live here, I don’t care about what happens in your silly little reality.” 

“Oh, well, thank you then…” The dragon’s yellow eyes bored into him, as if determining if he should kill him or let him live. 

“You truly are an honorable young man, I knew I made the right choice.” 

“Choice?” 

“Yes— ah your friends have all made it through, let’s bring them up here so I won't have to repeat myself.” Steve called out for them and they came running up the stairs expecting a fight but finding none. “Good evening, gentlemen.” The dragon greeted them politely, bowing his fearsome head. “I am Sir Carter, I have Invited you, Steven, so you may rescue and marry my daughter. I’ve gone through a few men already, none were as honorable as you, Sir Steven. You see, if you had asked to see your friends secrets, I would’ve had to kill you. If you refused to share a secret, I would’ve had to kill you. If you did not make it past the quicksand trap you would’ve died. If you couldn’t lift the hammer, you would have died. I needed a man who was as brave as he was kind, as humble as he was handsome. Since you survived each challenge I will allow you to marry my daughter. She’s in the tower, just up those stairs. Good luck, young hero.” Steven was shocked by the revelation. How could this dragon be Sir Carter. Dragons weren’t offered as animals you could pay to shift into. Maybe that’s just the prestige of the uber wealthy. Bucky approached Steve and awkwardly moved to hug him. 

“You got this, buddy.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, Steve could see his own worry mirrored in his friends' eyes. He took a deep breath and walked up the secret stairs anxiously thinking about what he’d say. There was only one room, he opened the wooden door gently and peered around the room. The princess had her back to him, gazing out of the window. The scene looked like a painting from an old fairytale book. The fair maiden waiting desperately for her savior to come and relieve her of this old, crumbling tower that had kept her prisoner for years. 

A proper damsel in distress. 

And a proper knight. 

He knocked softly to get her attention. She turned around slowly and gracefully as if she wasn’t startled by his presence. She was extremely beautiful, with fair skin and a voluptuous body. This was highlighted by her fire red gown that snaked up her body like she was being engulfed in the flames. Her dark red lips parted in a small ‘o’ and her piercing brown eyes narrowed in on Steve. He felt incredibly nervous. He should probably say something, that must be what she’s waiting for. 

“Lady Carter,” he bowed. “I have come to save you from this prison. I am—” 

“Not who I was waiting for.” She frowned deeply and Steve stood up straight again. “No offense, you seem like a fine gentleman… and that’s exactly the problem.” She said more to herself than to him. She had a clipped English accent and the way she kept examining Steve without moving made him want to throw himself out of the window just to get away from her scrutiny. She walked to the entryway, her heels click-clacking behind her and echoing throughout the castle. “Father!” No sooner had she called than the beastly dragon slithered up the stairs and shifted into an aging man more recognizable as Sir Carter. “Who is this?” She asked. Tony quickly ran up the stairs as well. 

“That’s who you requested. He fits all the requirements.” Tony supplied. If anything went wrong with the fantasy-reality it would be his fault as the director and producer. “A blonde, young man of lower high society. “As pure as Sir Gawain, as brave as Sir Yawain, and as amorous as Sir Lancelot” It’s all right here m’lady.” Tony quickly bowed deeply remembering his place. Princess Margaret’s face contorted itself into pure fury. Tony must’ve thought she was going to attack him; Steve thought the same and pulled out the only weapon he had. She turned to Sir Carter who was trying to sneak down the stairs. 

“ **YOU PURPOSELY RUINED MY FAIRYTALE! YOU’VE SENT MEN TO THEIR DEATHS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN PRIDE AND CONSERVATIVE VALUES!** ” 

She did not move her mouth to speak, her screaming echoed in their heads like a banshee slowly driving them insane. Sir Carter must’ve gotten the worst of it as he was flattening himself against the floor, as if that would somehow make it all stop. The flames of her dress came to life engulfing her and growing larger and larger until they reached the roof of the room. The flames solidified into a much larger dragon the same deep red as Princess Margaret’s lips. The beast bared her fangs at Sir Carter and roared loudly. Her scales lit up with actual fire running through them. Princess Margaret’s voice rang in their heads still. 

“ **I REQUESTED A BLONDE** **_WOMAN_ ** **! AS PURE AS GAWAIN, AS BRAVE AS YAWAIN AND AS AMOROUS AS LANCELOT! YET YOU BETRAY ME AND ATTEMPT TO PASS OF THESE MEN AS WORTHY FOR ME!** ”

She must’ve calmed down as the yelling finally stopped and the fire no longer coursed through her. She glared at her worm-like father then turned to Steve and his men who cowered in fear of her wrath. She shrank back down to her original size but still maintained her beastly form. 

“Sir Steven,” she said evenly. “You must excuse my behavior, I apologize for this misunderstanding.” 

“I-it’s quite alright, m’lady.” Her lips curled upwards slightly either at his polite response or her own sadistic pleasure in seeing him cower. 

“You and your men will be compensated for this ordeal, you are a nice man. I’ll invite you to my Ball when I inevitably have one because of  _ his _ mistake.” Her father whimpered in fear. She nodded, dismissing them. The men went down the stairs and exited the castle. 

“Well, I am proud to say, Sir Steven Rogers, you have successfully completed your first Quest.” Thor held out his hand professionally but Steve didn’t take it. He sneered at the gesture. 

“Some Quest this was! We didn’t fight anything— face any real challenges! All there was was that stupid quicksand and this useless hammer.” He threw the offending object on the ground, teetering precariously at the edge of the cliff. 

“Well, yes, but you check off each box— and I agree we didn’t get to do all seventeen steps, but we still got the basic—”   
  


“Screw your checkboxes! YOUR BROTHER DIED! FOR NOTHING! A princess who didn’t want me?!” Bucky stared in shock at his friend’s sudden outburst. Sam comforted Thor who finally continued to mourn his missing brother. Thor pulled away from Sam’s embrace and threw his clipboard on the ground then started his trek across the rickety bridge. Sam followed and Tony picked up the clipboard and studied the form for a moment before approaching Steve. Bucky gaped at Steve with wide eyes full of pity. Steve had never regretted something more than he had in that moment. 

“...What did you learn?” 

“What?” 

“”What did you learn?” Thor can’t fill out the form anymore and there’s only one thing left. “What did you learn?” Steve chuckled bitterly. What did he learn? He learned he didn’t have a secret admirer. He learned his best friend and lifelong crush had a super rich and handsome boyfriend. He learned he was a useless captain and let one of his men die. He learned he was an awful Knight and that he was undeserving of all that was given to him. 

“I didn’t learn anything.” He said quietly as the weight of the past two days humbled him. Tony looked at him thoughtfully, then glanced at Bucky from the corner of his eye. 

“You wanna know what I learned?” 

“Sure.” This’d be entertaining. The guy who joined their Quest at the last minute, what could he have to offer? Bucky was glaring at Tony who suddenly looked as smug as Bucky did whenever he had a secret he wanted to share. 

“Well at the Door of Truth, one of us revealed a really juicy secret. Apparently—” 

“I love you!” 

Tony and Steve turned to stare at Bucky for his outburst of passion. He stood there ashamed, looking like a pauper instead of a prince. He was focused purely on Steve. Steve’s heart started beating loudly in his chest, like if he wasn’t careful it would actually jump out of his mouth. This had to be a joke. 

“...what?” 

“I love you. That was my truth. No one else knows, but I’ve been in love with you since I was 17— and I know none of this makes any sense. But I rather you hear it from me than from some fool like Tony.” Tony said something in response but Steve didn’t hear it. All he heard was that Bucky Barnes was in love with him. Bucky Barnes, heir to the Barnes principality, true prince if there ever was one, was in love with him. He who had no family, no land aside from that which he lived on, and had been a real jerk this entire Quest. He strode forward and held his best friend in his arms, like if he let go, Bucky would laugh and say this was all a joke. 

Steve kissed him. 

“”He learned that his…best…friend…was in love…with him” aaand period!” Tony was filling out the form in the background. Bucky couldn’t stop smiling as they broke apart from a truly fairytale kiss. 

“So I’m guessing you like me too?” Bucky said shyly. Steve laughed loudly and without restraint. 

“Ever since you first kissed me all those years ago, I couldn’t get you out of my mind.” Steve thought about that kiss as the pad of his thumb played with Bucky’s bottom lip. How many years he had dreamt of holding Bucky like he was now. How many years he had fantasized of coming to Bucky like a man and admitting his feelings. How many years he had spent yearning for someone who yearned just as much. Steve leaned in to kiss Bucky again, to make up for lost time, but Bucky stopped him with a hand against his lips. 

“You should, um… probably apologize to Thor.” Bucky said. Steve nodded, reminded of his folly in lashing out at his friend. He grabbed the clipboard from an indignant Tony. He headed towards the rickety bridge but then ran back to Bucky like he suddenly forgot something. He wrapped one arm around Bucky’s waist and pulled him close. He kissed him one last time. 

“I love you too.” He said before grinning like a mad man and running across the rickety bridge. He put his hand on Thor’s shoulder as he was kneeling and sobbing for the loss of his brother. Sam was in his bird form doing a little dance trying to entertain the man. Thor wiped away his tears when he felt the hand touch him. 

“What?” 

“So I was looking over the form…and I see here that step six “Go to the Underworld” isn’t checked out.” 

“...”

“Sam did say that we could rescue Loki once this was all over. Plus, surely I can’t be finished with my Quest if one box isn’t checked?” Thor tried not to smile as he wiped his face and stood up eagerly. 

“I guess we’re going to the Underworld then?” 

“I guess so.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lovely [photoset](https://anisstaranise.tumblr.com/post/635420993598406656/abandon-all-hope-ye-who-enter-here-you-must) from our talented [artist](https://twitter.com/anisstaranise?s=20) for this chapter!
> 
> Thank you all for reading and hopefully enjoying!  
> This event was a lot of fun and even if I struggled with it, I'm glad I joined and met so many lovely people.


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